Are micro-chipped/certified Asian arowanas OK in the US?

[ArowanaUs]

In the US the only way to get one legally is to be a research company or college specializing in this research. That is the only way they will issue a permit.

I used to have an Asian Arowana. I ordered it from a guy that was importing them into New York. My wife and I wanted one with the cities permit shipped to our home in another country where they are legal to own.

He shipped it to my US home instead and when he got caught bringing more in he sang like a canary to save his own behind. He gave up his list of clients that he had sold to for the last 5 years prior.

Lucky for me I no longer had the fish so they fined me $16,500.00 for receiving endangered fish. My lawyer got it down to around $650.00. They would have never known what was shipped in the box if I was not honest.

Lesson learned if they come knocking, tell them to go fishing somewhere else. Also never try to own an Asian Arowana in the USA!

This was about 10 years ago, I am just now getting back into the hobby for Silver Arowanas only.

 

[Carolina Gilbert]

Ok so I'm starting to get back into the hobby and I've had Aro's before so naturally I want another one in the process I saw a post on craigslist from a so called "breeder" he said he was located in MD and that he breeds and sells Asian Aro's I've had a few phone conversations with the guy and eventually he gave me a website I figured y'all would know more how to handle the situation.

It's definitely "Fishy"

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Ok so I'm starting to get back into the hobby and I've had Aro's before so naturally I want another one in the process I saw a post on craigslist from a so called "breeder" he said he was located in MD and that he breeds and sells Asian Aro's I've had a few phone conversations with the guy and eventually he gave me a website I figured y'all would know more how to handle the situation.

It's definitely "Fishy"

its super easy to handle this...heres what you do:

know that Asian aros are federally illegal in the US, and walk away from the guy. I wouldn't even risk talking to the guy for fear the feds show up asking questions anyhow.

 

[Oddball]

Read the 1st page of this thread and save yourself from being ripped off.

 

[Bcrafty]

I called the same guy ( or so I think), same website, same bs excuse about CITES certificate, and then he hung up on me when I asked about buying the fish in person with my "friend" who "works for fish and game" .
It's all over the net, just Google it.
Out of curiosity how do you Canada ppl get the fish? Just walk in point, they bag it and give you a certificate or do you have to register with it like you would a gun?maybe a simple address check? I mean whats really stopping us from crossing the border and walking out with a fish in a bag and "forgetting" to claim it at the border? Aside from 1. It's illegal 2. The fines are ridiculous 3. There are plenty of beautiful fish legally available.

P.s.i do hope I see that banner that USA pulled their head out ....atleast for chipped farm bred fish....or I'm retiring to canada

 

[ArowanaUs]

I called the same guy ( or so I think), same website, same bs excuse about CITES certificate, and then he hung up on me when I asked about buying the fish in person with my "friend" who "works for fish and game" .
It's all over the net, just Google it.
Out of curiosity how do you Canada ppl get the fish? Just walk in point, they bag it and give you a certificate or do you have to register with it like you would a gun?maybe a simple address check? I mean whats really stopping us from crossing the border and walking out with a fish in a bag and "forgetting" to claim it at the border? Aside from 1. It's illegal 2. The fines are ridiculous 3. There are plenty of beautiful fish legally available.

P.s.i do hope I see that banner that USA pulled their head out ....atleast for chipped farm bred fish....or I'm retiring to canada

When I was in Canada there were a couple in the store one day and gone the next.
They told me they will place special order and add a couple for the store to sell on top of the special order. However they do not stay in the store long. They do not have to register it in Canada (that I know of) you get your cert at the store and if anyone comes knocking you should them the cert, they scan the microchip and you are good to go.

What is stopping you from taking that across the border is the fine and jail time if you get caught. You may not get caught at that moment, they can come knocking later on.

When I got caught receiving one, by my own admission, F&W told me they know about the farms and what they worry about is people taking wild caught, microchiping them and selling as farm raised. This is of course how it will hurt the wild population.

Also none of the fish farms are giving back to the population to help build it up.

 

[Bcrafty]

Thanks arowanaus good insite on the Canadian way. I didn't even think about wc fish just being tagged and sold as farm bred but it makes sense, I'm sure there's someone out there who WOULD buy a wc specimen with b.s. papers so they can tell their friends but the govt can't bust them, it's always the 1%screwing it up for the rest of us.

 

[jerrym]

Theres always fishy ads online...

 

[FirstTimeFisher]

Never heard of this. Wow! :O

 

[Rojo1991]

I went to the site above and then chatted with possibly the owner and this was out chat

You
Are Asians legal to have in the US?
yes sir
the come with papers
where are you located at?
KY
tran
okay sir
I found this: In the United States, it is illegal to own or import any species of the Asian arowana. The Asian arowana was originally Scleropages formosus, but has since been split into several different species -- all protected. The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
tran
how many gallon is your fish tank
I don't want to get in trouble for having one if they aren't allowed
265
tran
listern sir
take my advise i have been doing this for 10 years now
the come with their papers
am a breeder here in douglasville ga
i breed them here in the us
i don't import them sir
ok let me do some thinking
tran
you need to have no worries sir
i have been doing this business for years now sir
many people buy with no problem

Another fellow Kentucky resident here! Interesting read btw