Are dwarf snakeheads legal to keep?
- Thread starter FreddytheFish
- Start date
The Lacey Act prohibits the importation, transportation, and acquisition of wildlife species deemed to be "injurious" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The following fish and invertebrate species are considered to be injurious under the Act:
(2) The importation, transportation, or acquisition of any of the species listed in this paragraph is prohibited except as provided under the terms and conditions set forth in Sec. 16.22:
(i) Live fish or viable eggs of walking catfish, family Clariidae;
(ii) Live mitten crabs, genus Eriocheir, or their viable eggs;
(iii) Live mollusks, veligers, or viable eggs of zebra mussels, genus Dreissena;
(iv) Any live fish or viable eggs of snakehead fishes of the genera Channa and Parachanna (or their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and Parophiocephalus) of the Family Channidae, including but not limited to:
(A) Channa amphibeus (Chel or Borna snakehead).
(B ) Channa argus (Northern or Amur snakehead).
( C) Channa asiatica (Chinese or Northern Green snakehead).
(D) Channa aurantimaculata.
(E) Channa bankanensis (Bangka snakehead).
(F) Channa baramensis (Baram snakehead).
(G) Channa barca (barca or tiger snakehead).
(H) Channa bleheri (rainbow or jewel snakehead).
(I) Channa cyanospilos (bluespotted snakehead).
(J) Channa gachua (dwarf, gaucha, or frog snakehead).
(K) Channa harcourtbutleri (Inle snakehead).
(L) Channa lucius (shiny or splendid snakehead).
(M) Channa maculata (blotched snakehead).
(N) Channa marulius (bullseye, murrel, Indian, great, or cobra snakehead).
(O) Channa maruloides (emperor snakehead).
(P) Channa melanoptera.
(Q) Channa melasoma (black snakehead).
( R) Channa micropeltes (giant, red, or redline snakehead).
(S) Channa nox.
(T) Channa orientalis (Ceylon or Ceylonese Green snakehead).
(U) Channa panaw.
(V) Channa pleurophthalmus (ocellated, spotted, or eyespot snakehead).
(W) Channa punctata (dotted or spotted snakehead).
(X) Channa stewartii (golden snakehead).
(Y) Channa striata (chevron or striped snakehead).
(Z) Parachanna africana (Niger or African snakehead).
(AA) Parachanna insignis (Congo, square-spotted African or light African snakehead).
(BB) Parachanna obscura (dark African, dusky, or square-spotted snakehead).
Source: 50 Code of Federal Regulations §16.13.
[Federal Register: October 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 193)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 62193-62204]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc02-10]
[[Page 62193]]
================================================== =====================
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 16
RIN 1018-AI36
Injurious Wildlife Species; Snakeheads (family Channidae)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adds all species of
snakehead fishes in the Channidae family to the list of injurious fish,
mollusks, and crustaceans. By this action, the Service prohibits the
importation into or transportation between the continental United
States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States. The best
available information indicates that this action is necessary to
protect wildlife and wildlife resources from the purposeful or
accidental introduction and subsequent establishment of snakehead
populations in ecosystems of the United States. Live snakehead fishes
or viable eggs can be imported only by permit for scientific, medical,
educational, or zoological purposes, or without a permit by Federal
agencies solely for their own use; permits will also be required for
the interstate transportation of live snakeheads or viable eggs
currently held in the United States, for scientific, medical,
educational, or zoological purposes. This final rule becomes effective
immediately upon publication.
DATES: This rule is effective October 4, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kari Duncan, Division of Environmental
Quality, Branch of Invasive Species at (703) 358-2464 or kari--
duncan@fws.gov
(2) The importation, transportation, or acquisition of any of the species listed in this paragraph is prohibited except as provided under the terms and conditions set forth in Sec. 16.22:
(i) Live fish or viable eggs of walking catfish, family Clariidae;
(ii) Live mitten crabs, genus Eriocheir, or their viable eggs;
(iii) Live mollusks, veligers, or viable eggs of zebra mussels, genus Dreissena;
(iv) Any live fish or viable eggs of snakehead fishes of the genera Channa and Parachanna (or their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and Parophiocephalus) of the Family Channidae, including but not limited to:
(A) Channa amphibeus (Chel or Borna snakehead).
(B ) Channa argus (Northern or Amur snakehead).
( C) Channa asiatica (Chinese or Northern Green snakehead).
(D) Channa aurantimaculata.
(E) Channa bankanensis (Bangka snakehead).
(F) Channa baramensis (Baram snakehead).
(G) Channa barca (barca or tiger snakehead).
(H) Channa bleheri (rainbow or jewel snakehead).
(I) Channa cyanospilos (bluespotted snakehead).
(J) Channa gachua (dwarf, gaucha, or frog snakehead).
(K) Channa harcourtbutleri (Inle snakehead).
(L) Channa lucius (shiny or splendid snakehead).
(M) Channa maculata (blotched snakehead).
(N) Channa marulius (bullseye, murrel, Indian, great, or cobra snakehead).
(O) Channa maruloides (emperor snakehead).
(P) Channa melanoptera.
(Q) Channa melasoma (black snakehead).
( R) Channa micropeltes (giant, red, or redline snakehead).
(S) Channa nox.
(T) Channa orientalis (Ceylon or Ceylonese Green snakehead).
(U) Channa panaw.
(V) Channa pleurophthalmus (ocellated, spotted, or eyespot snakehead).
(W) Channa punctata (dotted or spotted snakehead).
(X) Channa stewartii (golden snakehead).
(Y) Channa striata (chevron or striped snakehead).
(Z) Parachanna africana (Niger or African snakehead).
(AA) Parachanna insignis (Congo, square-spotted African or light African snakehead).
(BB) Parachanna obscura (dark African, dusky, or square-spotted snakehead).
Source: 50 Code of Federal Regulations §16.13.
[Federal Register: October 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 193)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 62193-62204]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc02-10]
[[Page 62193]]
================================================== =====================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 16
RIN 1018-AI36
Injurious Wildlife Species; Snakeheads (family Channidae)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adds all species of
snakehead fishes in the Channidae family to the list of injurious fish,
mollusks, and crustaceans. By this action, the Service prohibits the
importation into or transportation between the continental United
States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States. The best
available information indicates that this action is necessary to
protect wildlife and wildlife resources from the purposeful or
accidental introduction and subsequent establishment of snakehead
populations in ecosystems of the United States. Live snakehead fishes
or viable eggs can be imported only by permit for scientific, medical,
educational, or zoological purposes, or without a permit by Federal
agencies solely for their own use; permits will also be required for
the interstate transportation of live snakeheads or viable eggs
currently held in the United States, for scientific, medical,
educational, or zoological purposes. This final rule becomes effective
immediately upon publication.
DATES: This rule is effective October 4, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kari Duncan, Division of Environmental
Quality, Branch of Invasive Species at (703) 358-2464 or kari--
duncan@fws.gov
I know I'm going to catch flak for this, but...TheMightyQueenPixie said:
I just did the same search, and what I found concerning snakeheads in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio waters and lakes leaves me even more heavily resolved against the argument that "many species are 'safe' for North American waters as they can't survive the winters." It sounds to me like this is a remarkably resilient genus with great fortitude and adaptability and, unfortunately, that makes a broad ban more and more reasonable. If there were controls on their ownership, import, transport and sale... then maybe I could see limited ownership by those select aquarists who've proven themselves responsible enough to do so. But (with respect and full acknowledgement that I don't know that much about these fish) saying certain species are "safe" because, to the best of our knowledge, they can't survive the cold winters is becoming a steadily less persuasive argument in my book. (If you don't understand what I'm talking about, do a google search for yourself for news articles in these cold, northern states and see what I mean.)
TheMightyQueenPixie
Best Invention EVER!
I caught something the other day on the news that you may find interesting...The piece was called "the reluctant millionaire"..Apparently this old guy in florida was basically forced to sell his 160 acres of everglades and move into town..The news crew was given a tour of his property which included a large pond...The owner boasted "and there are the "Oscars"...This pond was huge and right in the middle of a sensitive eco system...When the crew was rapping up the segment, they commented about the "catfish pond"...Suddenly the Oscars were catfish.. I saw them and they were DEFINITELY Oscars...Something to think about...
Thanks. I did a Google search too (I almost always do before I post a thread), and saw that. However, that's from 2003, and I wasn't sure if a new law had been passed, the old law had been updated, etc. Also, some of the laws only prohibit importing the species, not owning it. The whole things confusing.
