Asian arowana regulations/enforcement

[predatorkeeper87]

game commission CO's are worse than cops in my neck of the woods. If someone tells them you have a poached animal in your freezer they'll play the whole intimidation game so you let them in your house without a warrant.

 

[butchie]

Had a moron from another site drop a dime on me for pics I posted to the site. Back in 2004 I relocated from WA to MS and never thought to check the MS laws before moving fish. Turned out I had species legal in WA but, illegal in MS. The agents seized ~$4K in fish which they placed in plastic garbage bags because they didn't bring proper eqpt for transporting fish. Along with the illegal fish, they also took fish they "thought" were illegal. Everything they took died in the black bags they put in their trunk in 100+ degree weather.
I was looking at losing my hatchery, jail time, and over $100K in fines. I had some luck in that the agents threw the leaking smelly bag of evidence (they didn't even have pictures due to all agents forgetting to bring along a camera) in a dumpster long before my trial. The judge and my lawyer came to the decision that since there was no hard evidence other than written statements from the agents that the evidence couldn't be used as proof against me.
I got to keep my license and 'only' walked away with about $10 grand in losses (fish loss and attorney's/legal fees).
That event is what brought me to researching all of the Restricted Species lists in the pinned articles in the Marketplace forum. I don't want anyone else to go through what I had to go through.

Man oddball, quite the story. In my neck of the woods (florida) you do not mess around with these guys. Think about it though I would rather go after a fish/reptile keeper than a crack dealer or a gang banger. The law is the law though even if from our standpoint we disagree. I would love to see some sort of licensing for responsible hobbyists where we could keep some of the species that are off limit. Stingrays come to mind, I would love to keep them especially considering one species are native to the st johns river right down the street for me. I have known people that got busted when I was more on the commercial side. Oddball, you got very lucky, hand of God they didnt have a camera. I know one guy they completely ruined and jailed. He had a BIG operation. Family guy doing time for having illegal animals. He was big enough to know better IMO, but maybe things slipped through IDK.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Man oddball, quite the story. In my neck of the woods (florida) you do not mess around with these guys. Think about it though I would rather go after a fish/reptile keeper than a crack dealer or a gang banger. The law is the law though even if from our standpoint we disagree. I would love to see some sort of licensing for responsible hobbyists where we could keep some of the species that are off limit. Stingrays come to mind, I would love to keep them especially considering one species are native to the st johns river right down the street for me. I have known people that got busted when I was more on the commercial side. Oddball, you got very lucky, hand of God they didnt have a camera. I know one guy they completely ruined and jailed. He had a BIG operation. Family guy doing time for having illegal animals. He was big enough to know better IMO, but maybe things slipped through IDK.

I hate that....jail time for owning an illegal animal...I could see if youre selling them on a black market or killing off an endangered species but like oddballs case...that's just outrageous. I'm all for some structure when it comes to conservation but jesus..

 

[DN328]

Thanks for sharing Oddball. That must have been an ordeal for you, I'm sure.

 

[ehh]

Wow that's crazy. Poor fish.

I read somewhere, about two years ago in California or Pennsylvania, fish and wildlife caught some guys importing arowana into the states. I think they are now serving two years or something like that.

Asian aros are illegal to own. It's the simple. If someone if selling them theyre a) trying to get arrested or b) trying to get you arrested.

 

[Comanswoodwork]

Simple enough but there's a lot of bad information out there. This is probably the most knowledgeable forum I've found as far as anything in or around the aquarium.

 

[Oddball]

im 100% sure there is F&W game in this site and/or any other fish site that lurking around to catch the one who have it. So be very caution of what you post, and who you share pictures and information with.

We have many members in F&W and in law enforcement. We've announced that fact numerous times on this site.