As for the issue that people have been arguing over, the stocking of fish into a pond, with MD as the example state, it is quite illegal. In the link posted by screaminleeman, it is explicitly stated that it is unlawful to stock any privately owned pond without a permit. It further goes on to state that "It is undesirable to stock a pond with fish from another pond, lake or stream due to the potential introduction of disease and nuisance weeds." This implies that even capturing legal, NATIVE fish from one place and transporting them from your pond is to be avoided if possible.
Stocking ponds is legal, but it is extremely regulated in order to protect native flora and fauna; you can't stock whatever you feel like stocking.
Many states have extremely restrictive laws on what fish you can import, possess, stock and release. Many states have extremely stringent regulations on the stocking of fish.
For convenience sake, check out this link on the Maryland DNR website about some of the federal regulations one has to navigate in order to stock fish in your private pond:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/invsupport.asp
Stocking fish in your pond is legal, yes. However, there are an infinite number of ways that your attempting to perform an ostensibly legal act can become illegal. Many of the regulations mentioned in the above link explicitly outlaw the release of nonnative species.
Let this be the end of the discussion on pond stocking. The OP was in reference to releasing fish into a natural waterway, which is quite illegal based on the Federal statues listed in the MD DNR website above.
Stocking ponds is legal, but it is extremely regulated in order to protect native flora and fauna; you can't stock whatever you feel like stocking.
Many states have extremely restrictive laws on what fish you can import, possess, stock and release. Many states have extremely stringent regulations on the stocking of fish.
For convenience sake, check out this link on the Maryland DNR website about some of the federal regulations one has to navigate in order to stock fish in your private pond:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/invsupport.asp
Stocking fish in your pond is legal, yes. However, there are an infinite number of ways that your attempting to perform an ostensibly legal act can become illegal. Many of the regulations mentioned in the above link explicitly outlaw the release of nonnative species.
Let this be the end of the discussion on pond stocking. The OP was in reference to releasing fish into a natural waterway, which is quite illegal based on the Federal statues listed in the MD DNR website above.
