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Bill Foreman
Environmental Analyst II
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Inland Fisheries Division
In Connecticut, a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection is
required for the importation into the state of any live fish or live fish eggs,
except for common aquarium species. Here's the text of the regulations
concerning common aquarium species (note that the importation or possession of
piranha and walking catfish is prohibited):
Section 26-55-1(h) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA):
(h) No permit shall be required to import, live common aquarium species. The
importation or possession of piranha of the subfamily: Serrasalminae, genera
Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Teddyella, Rooseveltiella, and Pygopristus
and walking catfish of the family Clariidae, genera Clarias, Heteropneustes,
Dinotoplerus and Heterobranchus is prohibited except that the Commissioner may
at his discretion issue permits for the importation and possession, when it is
in the public interest, for public display purposes, of single specimens of
piranha and walking catfish. Such possession permits shall be issued for a
calendar year and the applicant must request renewal of said permit prior to
December thirty-first of the year said permit is in effect. Renewal of said
permit shall be at the discretion of the Commissioner. Such permittee shall
report annually to the Commissioner during the month of December on the status
and health of the specimen for which said permit is issued, except that in the
case of death of said specimen the permittee shall report same to the
Commissioner within seven days.
Possesion or importation of a number of species (and groups of species) is
prohibited, below is the current list of prohibited fish (text from Sec.
26-55-1(i) of the RCSA):
(i) Live fish or live fish eggs of the following species, genera or families may
not be imported in to the state or possessed:
(1) Bowfin (Amia calva);
(2) Gars (Lepisosteidae spp.);
(3) Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
(4) White bass (Morone chrysops),
(5) Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens);
(6) Snail carp or Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus);
(7) Silver carp (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix);
(8) Big Head carp (Aristichthys nobilis);
(9) Tench (Tinca tinca);
(10) Rohu (Labeo rohita);
(11) Calbasu (Labeo calbasa)
(12) Catla (Catla catla);
(13) Mrigal (Cirrhina mrigala);
(14) Mahseer (Tor tor);
(15) Crucian carp (Carassius carassius);
(16) Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus);
(17) European whitefish, Orfe or Ide (Leuciscus idus);
(18) Any species of fish whose importation into the United States is prohibited;
(19) Any species of fish designated rare, threatened or endangered;
(20) Any species of fish which the Commissioner determines is potentially
dangerous to humans, established species of fish or established aquatic plants;
(21) Snakehead (including all members of the genus Channa and Parachanna or
their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and
Parophiocephalus).
Also, this past summer, the importation and/or possession of live fish or live
eggs of all forms of sturgeon (family Acipenseridae) including "sterlet" was
prohibited. It was determined that a potential threat to Atlantic sturgeon and
the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon existed due to competition,
hybridization and disease transmission should other sturgeon be introduced to
Connecticut waters.
Please note that the introduction/liberation/stocking of any species of fish
into CT waters is also prohibited without a permit from the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and that the use of, or sale of common carp
(Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish for use as bait is also prohibited.
Also, there
are a number of aquatic plants (some of which may be popular in the aquarium and
water garden trades) whose possession, transportation, sale, cultivation and/or
distribution is currently prohibited in Connecticut:
Curly leaved pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
Variable water milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)
Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
Water chestnut (Trapa natans)
Egeria (Egeria densa), also called "Brazilian elodea".
Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
Common reed (Phragmites australis)
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Pond water-starwort (Callitriche stagnalis)
Brittle water-nymph (Najas minor)
American water lotus (Nelumbo lutea)
Yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata)
Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta)
Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus)
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
Onerow yellowcress (Rorippa microphylla)
Watercress (Rorippa nasturium-aquatticum-*except for watercress without
reproductive structures sold for human consumption
This post has been edited by Fruitbat: 21 December 2005 - 05:19 PM
