Hey there. You'll have to apologize if I seem a little snippy, but I just had a situation happen with the DFG over the weekend. Apparently most of the field officers (the ones with the guns, tazers, & handcuffs ,that have the ability to actually incarcerate you, seize your property, and fine you), don't know their asses from hot rocks... They are out there enforcing "their" version of what they define the laws as. It's complete BULL!
NAC 503.502 Bait: General authority to and restrictions on capture, transport and use. (NRS 501.105, 501.181, 503.300, 503.310)
1. A person who has a fishing license or short-term permit to fish, or who is not required to obtain such a license or permit pursuant to NRS 502.010 and NAC 502.285, may capture, transport and use bait for fishing or personal consumption except that:
(a) The use of any game fish or protected species of fish for bait is prohibited.
(b) Aquatic bait, other than salamanders or saltwater mudsuckers, may be used only in the water from which it is taken.
(c) Aquatic life may be imported into this State only with the prior approval of the Department.
(d) Aquatic bait and live bait fish may be transported from one river basin to another or from one area of this State to another only as provided in the appropriate regional regulation for the use of live bait fish.
2. A person who possesses bait in accordance with the provisions of this section shall not sell, barter or trade that bait.
3. Any bait obtained from a dealer in live bait fish who is licensed in this State must be accompanied by a currently dated receipt issued by that dealer.
(Added to NAC by Bd. of Wildlife Comm’rs, eff. 1-1-81; A 12-15-81; 12-3-84, eff. 1-1-85; 3-13-97; R109-02, 1-21-2003; R094-03, 10-30-2003)
This law clearly states that a licensed fisherman may , "capture", "transport", and "use", non-protected, non-game fish, for our bait & for personal use or consumption. YET, I had to entertain an armed DFG warden in my living room last night for approx. 10 minutes while I was not only forced to explain myself, but then told that I had to kill the (10)Fathead Minnows ( Pimephales promelas, neither a game fish OR a protected species), that I had collected the night previously. I explained to him the legitimacy of Native fish collecting, and over and over, he just said, "you can't be taking fish......yada yada yada...", even though the piece of paper he was holding said that i could LEGALLY, capture, transport, and personally use NON-PROTECTED, NON-GAME FISH!!!
I was then forced to justify, the legitimacy of being able to keep my (4) Central Longear Sunfish, and had it not been for Nevada Code 503.140 which qualifys them as an "Aquarium Fish" and my willingness to fight him on it, and actually dig out my Axlerod Encyclopedia of Tropical Aquarium Fishes, I would have either had to forfit the Longears to him, or provide a $15 permit for each of them, for "Keeping Wildlife" ...
Absolute HORSE-HOCKEY!!!!!
I plan on writing not only the regional DFG biologies director, but my Congressman, and Senators as well, so we can have this statute clearly defined, and not up to the interpretation of field officers, who, "...aren't fish biologists", by their own admission, and who have the authority to enforce this law how they choose to interperate it. Fathead Minnows, Speckled Daces, Paiute Sculpins, Lahontan Redside Shiners, Tui Chubs, Carp, ect... are all NATIVE species, legal & worthy and of collection, in the state of Nevada, and yet individual field officers, have the ability to tell us otherwise. If you buy them from a bait shop, have them in your possesion, and are transporting them, but have a reciept, then you're fine, and was told I could do whatever I wanted to with them. GO FIGURE???
This makes me want nothing more than to get the BIGGEST tank possible, and LOAD it with HUGE Peacock Bass, and then just RUB IT IN THEIR PROVERBIAL FACES!!! as they stand there in HORROR!!! while trying to make up some bull interpretation of some law that would otherwise negate the law that actually permitted it. That would only be strictly out of spite however, and that's not how I roll, but I'd still LOVE to see the look on their faces.
The thing that pisses me off, is that THOSE are the guys with the guns, THOSE are the guys in the field "enforcing"/"interperating" the laws, and THOSE are the guys who seem to know the least about them.
So, if any of you Nevadans have ANY Gamefish species, DON'T SAY A WORD TO ANYONE, regardless of their legitimacy, or validity of purchase!!! The DFG guys, who clearly don't know what it is that they are "enforcing", will not be any help, and will only try to get a piece of your pie financially, should you attempt to do so. Get a copy of the Axlerod Encyclopedia, as defined in NAC 503.140 H. Axelrod and W. Vorderwinkler, Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes, 29th ed., 1988. Know it from COVER TO COVER, (trust me, you'll want all of your cards in a row should that knock ever come on your front door.) Whatever you do, make sure that any fish you plan on keeping is IN THIS BOOK, otherwise, DFG's interpretation is that they can charge you a fee for a permit for "The Keeping of Wildlife", and thus "inspect" your tanks at ANY GIVEN time should your fish require permitting... This permitting process also involves the "tagging" or tattooing of an id number to be associated with the fish.
I'm SO PISSED RIGHT NOW, even my ears are red!!! I definately plan on doing some writing of my local officials , local editors of the newspaper, to try and get to the bottom of this, but I will say BE CAREFUL! I'm just glad I actually had done my homework, and knew my legal rights. It's unfortunate however, that your average field officer out there isn't on the same page, and the persons whom it would hurts most are simple aquarium hobbyists who enjoy their native biology. I'm guessing poachers, illegal commercial harvesters, and folks actaully introducing invasives are a far bigger problem than any group of aquarists could ever be, but tragically, they still see us in the same light.
All the Best,
Ben.
NAC 503.502 Bait: General authority to and restrictions on capture, transport and use. (NRS 501.105, 501.181, 503.300, 503.310)
1. A person who has a fishing license or short-term permit to fish, or who is not required to obtain such a license or permit pursuant to NRS 502.010 and NAC 502.285, may capture, transport and use bait for fishing or personal consumption except that:
(a) The use of any game fish or protected species of fish for bait is prohibited.
(b) Aquatic bait, other than salamanders or saltwater mudsuckers, may be used only in the water from which it is taken.
(c) Aquatic life may be imported into this State only with the prior approval of the Department.
(d) Aquatic bait and live bait fish may be transported from one river basin to another or from one area of this State to another only as provided in the appropriate regional regulation for the use of live bait fish.
2. A person who possesses bait in accordance with the provisions of this section shall not sell, barter or trade that bait.
3. Any bait obtained from a dealer in live bait fish who is licensed in this State must be accompanied by a currently dated receipt issued by that dealer.
(Added to NAC by Bd. of Wildlife Comm’rs, eff. 1-1-81; A 12-15-81; 12-3-84, eff. 1-1-85; 3-13-97; R109-02, 1-21-2003; R094-03, 10-30-2003)
This law clearly states that a licensed fisherman may , "capture", "transport", and "use", non-protected, non-game fish, for our bait & for personal use or consumption. YET, I had to entertain an armed DFG warden in my living room last night for approx. 10 minutes while I was not only forced to explain myself, but then told that I had to kill the (10)Fathead Minnows ( Pimephales promelas, neither a game fish OR a protected species), that I had collected the night previously. I explained to him the legitimacy of Native fish collecting, and over and over, he just said, "you can't be taking fish......yada yada yada...", even though the piece of paper he was holding said that i could LEGALLY, capture, transport, and personally use NON-PROTECTED, NON-GAME FISH!!!
I was then forced to justify, the legitimacy of being able to keep my (4) Central Longear Sunfish, and had it not been for Nevada Code 503.140 which qualifys them as an "Aquarium Fish" and my willingness to fight him on it, and actually dig out my Axlerod Encyclopedia of Tropical Aquarium Fishes, I would have either had to forfit the Longears to him, or provide a $15 permit for each of them, for "Keeping Wildlife" ...
Absolute HORSE-HOCKEY!!!!!
I plan on writing not only the regional DFG biologies director, but my Congressman, and Senators as well, so we can have this statute clearly defined, and not up to the interpretation of field officers, who, "...aren't fish biologists", by their own admission, and who have the authority to enforce this law how they choose to interperate it. Fathead Minnows, Speckled Daces, Paiute Sculpins, Lahontan Redside Shiners, Tui Chubs, Carp, ect... are all NATIVE species, legal & worthy and of collection, in the state of Nevada, and yet individual field officers, have the ability to tell us otherwise. If you buy them from a bait shop, have them in your possesion, and are transporting them, but have a reciept, then you're fine, and was told I could do whatever I wanted to with them. GO FIGURE???
This makes me want nothing more than to get the BIGGEST tank possible, and LOAD it with HUGE Peacock Bass, and then just RUB IT IN THEIR PROVERBIAL FACES!!! as they stand there in HORROR!!! while trying to make up some bull interpretation of some law that would otherwise negate the law that actually permitted it. That would only be strictly out of spite however, and that's not how I roll, but I'd still LOVE to see the look on their faces.
The thing that pisses me off, is that THOSE are the guys with the guns, THOSE are the guys in the field "enforcing"/"interperating" the laws, and THOSE are the guys who seem to know the least about them.
So, if any of you Nevadans have ANY Gamefish species, DON'T SAY A WORD TO ANYONE, regardless of their legitimacy, or validity of purchase!!! The DFG guys, who clearly don't know what it is that they are "enforcing", will not be any help, and will only try to get a piece of your pie financially, should you attempt to do so. Get a copy of the Axlerod Encyclopedia, as defined in NAC 503.140 H. Axelrod and W. Vorderwinkler, Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes, 29th ed., 1988. Know it from COVER TO COVER, (trust me, you'll want all of your cards in a row should that knock ever come on your front door.) Whatever you do, make sure that any fish you plan on keeping is IN THIS BOOK, otherwise, DFG's interpretation is that they can charge you a fee for a permit for "The Keeping of Wildlife", and thus "inspect" your tanks at ANY GIVEN time should your fish require permitting... This permitting process also involves the "tagging" or tattooing of an id number to be associated with the fish.
I'm SO PISSED RIGHT NOW, even my ears are red!!! I definately plan on doing some writing of my local officials , local editors of the newspaper, to try and get to the bottom of this, but I will say BE CAREFUL! I'm just glad I actually had done my homework, and knew my legal rights. It's unfortunate however, that your average field officer out there isn't on the same page, and the persons whom it would hurts most are simple aquarium hobbyists who enjoy their native biology. I'm guessing poachers, illegal commercial harvesters, and folks actaully introducing invasives are a far bigger problem than any group of aquarists could ever be, but tragically, they still see us in the same light.
All the Best,
Ben.
