New laws- no baitfish transportation.

[fishryc]

My local minnow dealer (I'm in NY State) just informed me that there are less than 30 days left until it will be illegal to transport baitfish. This is on the federal level and is intended to limit the spread of VHS virus from the great lakes to inland lakes. By not allowing transport, the dealers cannot receive bait. I asked about farm raised minnows and he said that here in NY anyway, they are included.
 He also said it will not be illegal for individuals to net up to one pint of Great Lakes minnows (Emerald Shiners being the most popular) and use them anywhere they wish.
 Kinda defeats the purpose, however I personally will utilize this clause. I'm a perch fisher 90% of the time and use only the Emerald Shiners except on hardwater where I use both maggots and shiners.
 I searched the web for more details with no luck.
 What has anyone else heard on this subject??
Thanks

[shrub]

so does this only aply to bait taken from them great lakes?

[ice dawg]

My local minnow dealer (I'm in NY State) just informed me that there are less than 30 days left until it will be illegal to transport baitfish. This is on the federal level and is intended to limit the spread of VHS virus from the great lakes to inland lakes. By not allowing transport, the dealers cannot receive bait. I asked about farm raised minnows and he said that here in NY anyway, they are included.
 He also said it will not be illegal for individuals to net up to one pint of Great Lakes minnows (Emerald Shiners being the most popular) and use them anywhere they wish.
 Kinda defeats the purpose, however I personally will utilize this clause. I'm a perch fisher 90% of the time and use only the Emerald Shiners except on hardwater where I use both maggots and shiners.
 I searched the web for more details with no luck.
 What has anyone else heard on this subject??
Thanks

Try this linkhttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/pdf/vhs-fed-order_ogc-changes.pdf
 

[fishryc]

Try this linkhttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/pdf/vhs-fed-order_ogc-changes.pdf
 

Thanks-

[youngster]

ya gotta love it !!!!!!   always something

[youngster]

be a money maker for sure,,,,, i wonder if there,s anything in the reg book you get with the license about it. if not be alotta guys still usin. so does that mean if your frozen fish thaw out and you get stopped your gonna be fined bwahahahahaha. i got about 200 minnows i think ill be usin for fishin no matter what. after that we,ll see

[mistertwister]

I'm not really understanding this...you are not going to be allowed to buy live minnows? I wont be able to go to a baitshop and get fatheads?

[fishincrazy]

Theres no way this is going to happen it will put bait shops out of business.  maybe they will stop the use of emerald shiners, big deal if they do that.  I can;t see them cutting off all minnows because this will hurt alot of bait shops.

[brujharr]

Can't, believe it! 

[hunters08]

seems to me it is from canada to united states but hasnt it always been like that?

[fishryc]

be a money maker for sure,,,,, i wonder if there,s anything in the reg book you get with the license about it. if not be alotta guys still usin. so does that mean if your frozen fish thaw out and you get stopped your gonna be fined bwahahahahaha. i got about 200 minnows i think ill be usin for fishin no matter what. after that we,ll see

 I have bought live emerald shiners weekly and year round for many years from the dealer (Jeff, owner of "Niagara Outdoors" in Niagara Falls) that tipped me off yesterday since he knew I would have to make alternative plans. He has just attended a meeting with numerous dealers from Western NY; including "Big Catch" and "A-1", two huge distributors of emerald shiners that deliver to dealers throughout Western NY.
 I'm in Niagara County and have numerous spots that I can dip my own. He said this is OK and that an individual may net and use one pint per day and transport and use them anywhere that they wish. Seems to defeat the purpose, however it will reduce their usage to a small fraction of the present.
 He also said, that for the time being, out of state farm raised minnows (fatheads) are also included.

[jflood]

are icicles the same as emerald shiners 

[youngster]

fishryc, im feel like you do this kinda defeats the purpose i just dont see how an individual can go catch and use but a person cant catch and sell.  sounds like they tryin to start a monoply on bait fish. if there is a true concern on a disease in fish then there should be no usage. next thing you know we,ll be able to buy and use from a certified bait shop. 1 that pays a fee for the paper from the state to sell. i dont know i dont like it...not that i cant live with out fishin with minnows. some thing just doesnt seem right here. these diseases seems to run there course in cycles id be more worried about the frakin pollution causin this stuff...

[youngster]

good link on vhs. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cei/taf/emergingdiseasenotice_files/vhsgreatlakes.htm

[vipercat64]

The way I read it, it says that those species cannot cross state lines, but within each state they can still be used and sold.  If it meant in-state transport too, it would use intra-state as well as interstate transport of fish. 

That's how I read it...

[Lobo]

The way I read it, it says that those species cannot cross state lines, but within each state they can still be used and sold.  If it meant in-state transport too, it would use intra-state as well as interstate transport of fish. 

That's how I read it...

I hope you are right !!!

[Lobo]

I had not heard about this. It could really suck !

[youngster]

not much noise being made so maybe we,re just dreamin bwa hahahahaha

[vipercat64]

Here is the paragraph that I think is going to save us...

"Effective immediately, the interstate movement of certain species of live fish from specified
areas in the United States is prohibited. The Administrator may also designate other States or
portions thereof as prohibited areas under this Order. Thereafter, the interstate movement of any
regulated species of live fish (as specified below) from an area designated as a prohibited area
will be subject to this Order."

This is copied directly from the order at the link posted earlier on this string.  

Interstate implies from one state to another, like the interstate highway system.  
Intrastate is within a given state.  It is this difference in definition that makes me think that as long as they originate in a given state, they can be moved and sold.  I could be way off on this though, as I am not a dealer and haven't been to any of those meetings mentioned earlier in the thread.  

Another question, if I am wrong about the wording, does this mean that the state stocking programs are going to be ended?  Nearly all of the normally stocked gamefish are on that list, and could not be transported from the hatchery to the stocked waters.   I can't imagine that this could possibly be the case...

[youngster]

your explaination sounds good but i still dont understand the part where it says ,an individual may net and use one pint per day and transport and use them anywhere that they wis

[vipercat64]

your explaination sounds good but i still dont understand the part where it says ,an individual may net and use one pint per day and transport and use them anywhere that they wis

I don't get that part either...it doesn't say anything about that in the federal order.

Can anybody explain?

[pikemaster0607]

what does this mean about like suckers/ chubs. im a big pike fisherman this is all i use... and i just spent a bunch of money on tip ups/line and a bunch of other stuff...this would suck if i couldnt get suckers/chubs anymore

[youngster]

another link on subject, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061029/ap_on_bi_ge/banned_fish   just hit front page news on yahoo page

[esox slayer]

I just stopped at the local bait shop this afternoon asking about any "bans" and so far they've heard nothing of the sort.....the one guy there is a regulations junky and he's seen nothing (yet)....Esox

[Mentiply]

Interstate implies from one state to another, like the interstate highway system. 
Intrastate is within a given state.  It is this difference in definition that makes me think that as long as they originate in a given state, they can be moved and sold. 

The Federal Government can only regulate Interstate commerce so I believe you are correct any intrastate trade would not be affected unless DEC decides to get involved too.

[crayfishbob]

The way I read it, it says that those species cannot cross state lines, but within each state they can still be used and sold.  If it meant in-state transport too, it would use intra-state as well as interstate transport of fish. 

That's how I read it...

That is exactly what is says. A bait dealer  ( New york state was specified ) cannot transport LIVE minnows interstate.  Nor can a bait dealer from another state remove them. Luckily, for us New york state is a large producer of emeralds and with the new law, they will be even more availble than ever because the big bait dealers will be forced to take a closer look at local markets now.

[fishryc]

 Luckily, for us New york state is a large producer of emeralds and with the new law, they will be even more availble than ever because the big bait dealers will be forced to take a closer look at local markets now.

 I'm not sure what you mean? I've talked to 3 bait shop owners in Western NY this weekend; one was sold out of emeralds and said that's it. He's out of the minnow business. The other two were on their last leg as far as quantity on hand and both said that that's it when they're gone.
 There will be no more Emarald minnows transported within NY State, or out of NY State.

[spoonfed]

 called michigan DNR and they are saying its only about transporting across state and national lines.  we will be able to buy bait but can not take them across state lines. or will the dealers.  he also told me that certain fish besides bait are on the list for no state to state transportation.

[fishincrazy]

Its just emerald shiners and some other species that jus live in the great lakes.  So we are still going to be able to get our shiners, fatheads and chubs.  So this regulation does not effect me at all because I hate emeralds, they come of the hook to easy and if you look at them worng they die.  Just my opinion on emearlds.  Sucks for the guys that like them and use them.

[pinche]

I just got this reply from my local baitshop on the issue..........
Eric,
 
Well, unfortunately, it is not a rumor.  The federal government, as of 8:00 am Wednesday Oct. 25, 2006 banned all import/export of live fish to help stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS).
 
Now for the good news.  My bait supplier assures me that the ban only prohibits the importation of certain species of live fish from two Canadian provinces into the United States and the interstate movement of the same species from the eight states bordering the Great Lakes.   He also stated that their fish farm nets their own emerald shiners and fatheads from within Michigan.  They also import Golden Shiners from Arkansas ( which is not affected by the ban ) and suckers are not on the list of banned live fish.
 
Representatives from the Live Bait industry are meeting in Washington next week, to try and resolve this matter.  The only problem that could arise from this unfortunate ban, would be if the government banned harvesting altogether.  Hopefully this will not happen, but we will know more after the meeting next week.
 
The fish farm also assured me, that they will have a full line of minnows for the upcoming ice fishing season.
 
I have the most at stake, as do the fish farms themselves.  So, I will be following this issue closely.  Feel free to email me after next week, for an update about the meeting in Washington.
 
Thanks,
Ron
Hook, Line & Sinker