3 replies to this topic

[vonmoltke]

Hi all,

 

Relocated to NC from CA a couple of years ago. I had planted tanks years ago with exotics but have always wanted to take a crack at keeping a native planted tank with fish I've caught myself, and now that I'm in NC and have a young daughter, I think it would be a really fun project for the two of us. 

I'm doing some research on the regulations in NC regarding keeping nongame fish, and I'm a little concerned by this section,  15A NCAC 10C .0209 TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE FISH:

"Fish Transport: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to transport live freshwater nongame fishes, or live game fishes in excess of the possession limit, or fish eggs without having in possession a permit obtained from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission." 

I'm certain this applies to me as I'm planning to target very small nongame fish i.e. minnows and the smaller sunfishes like bandeds or bluespots, etc. Now, I have absolutely no problem getting any additional permits I need on top of my NC Fishing license. The problem is I can't find any information on a specific "fish transport" permit on the NCWRC website. I don't mind shooting random emails out and hoping I get the right person, but there seems to be some very knowledgeable people on these forums so I'm hopeful one of you can point me in the right direction before I fall down the rabbit hole of bureaucracy and getting transferred between half a dozen people before I get to the right person.

Any ideas? To be clear, this is just a fun thing for my daughter and me. Keeping a handful of small natives in a tank at home. Not planning to breed, sell, restock outside, anything like that. Thanks!

[El Todd]

What are the possesion limits? A handful is usually within possesion limits. 

 

Also bear in mind that sunfish, of any species, are often considered game fish by many states. This might work for you or against you depending upon the regualtions regarding keeping live gamefish. As long as you're allowed to keep gamefish in your tank, then the total number of fish you can take home would go up - you're in a seperate a possesion limit pool from the non-game fish species. 

 

Welcome to the wacky world of DNR regulations!

[vonmoltke]

What are the possesion limits? A handful is usually within possesion limits. 

 

Also bear in mind that sunfish, of any species, are often considered game fish by many states. This might work for you or against you depending upon the regualtions regarding keeping live gamefish. As long as you're allowed to keep gamefish in your tank, then the total number of fish you can take home would go up - you're in a seperate a possesion limit pool from the non-game fish species. 

 

Welcome to the wacky world of DNR regulations!

 

Thank you for the reply! Unfortunately, this doesn't really answer my question.

The regulations on bag limits are pretty easy to find. For nongame fish in NC it appears to be 200 per day with exceptions, and the fish I would be targeting are not listed under any of the very long lists of exceptions nor are they listed under any of the game fish limits. I am, however, struggling to find specific lists of what are and are not considered game fish in NC. I highly doubt something like pygmy sunfish, banded sunfish, or red belly mountain dace would be considered "game fish". So this is another problem.

Assuming the fish I'm after are considered non-game fish, as far as I can tell I need the following:

-A fishing license (already have it)
-A "special device" permit so I can use a net to collect
-Some kind of "transport" permit so I can actually lawfully put them in my car and leave with them

My hope is that I'm incorrect and there is some information I'm missing. This is all very unnecessarily confusing.

[El Todd]

https://www.eregulat...ing-regulations :

 

Mountain trout (including but not limited to brook, brown, and rainbow trout)
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, spotted, and Bartram’s)
Crappie (black and white)
Sunfish (bluegill, flier, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, redbreast sunfish (robin), redear sunfish (shellcracker), Roanoke bass, rock bass, warmouth, and all other species of the family Centrarchidae)
Striped bass, in inland waters
Bodie bass (striped bass hybrid), in inland waters
White bass, in inland waters
White perch, in inland waters
Shad (American and hickory), in inland waters
Walleye
Muskellunge
Sauger

 

In your state banded sunfish are not considered gamefish; in MD, where I live, they are. 

 

I read the regulations incorrectly at first - I thought it was lumping gamefish and non gamefish together. Basically I didn't read the comma.

 

You could try flyer maybe. Otherwise, It looks to me like you need a transport permit.