pbmax
Active Member
Washington FishBox respects all Washington State and United States federal laws governing the keeping, transportation, and sale of aquatic animals and plants. As such, it is a violation of forum rules to discuss the keeping, transportation, and / or sale of plant and animal species that are prohibited by law, or to discuss engaging in aquaria-related activity that violates the law. Please see the below information on Washington State and Federal law covering aquatic plant and animal species.
Failure to abide by these rules may result in one or more of the following forum actions, depending on severity: private lecture via PM, public lecture via post, deletion of post and / or thread, removal of offending user from Washington FishBox. The last step is highly unlikely, but please try to respect the rules.
We actively encourage every member here on FishBox to enjoy the aquarium hobby within the confines of the law.
Laws covering aquatic animal and plant species can be broken into three categories. The first is invasive species - possession, transportation, and sale of these animals and plants within the state of Washington or the United States are prohibited due to their propensity to cause ecological damage. The second category is protected species - transportation and sale of these animals and plants are prohibited on the basis that they are threatened or endangered in the wild. The third category is collection laws.
First and foremost: It is illegal to release aquarium animals or plants into the wild, period. Don't do it, EVER.
Invasive / Pest Species
Animals
Washington State Aquatic invasive Animal Species: http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/wac.html
Raw Law Text: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-12-090
This list covers all invasive aquatic species including vertebrates and invertebrates. Any species listed under section 1 is prohibited by law meaning they cannot be kept, transported, bought, or sold. Some common aquaria banned by this law: All crayfish (there are some very narrow exceptions here, read the law for details), snakeheads, piranhas, various carp, round goby, certain gars, rosy red (fathead) minnow.
Federal Plant Pest Regulation
A PPQ 526 plant pest permit is required for the importation or interstate movement of mollusks that feed upon or infest plants or plant products.
APHIS page: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/organism/snails_slugs.shtml
This includes: Pomacea Canaliculata - the big brother of Pomacea Diffusa (Mystery snails are NOT regulated).
Plants
Washington State Noxious Weed Quarantine list: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/searchResultsQuarantine.asp
Any plants listed on the Washington State noxious weed quarantine list are illegal to possess, transport, buy, or sell. The list of aquatic plants is near the bottom of the page. Some very common aquarium plants on this list: Cabomba Caroliniana (Green Cabomba / Fanwort), Egeria Densa (Brazilian Elodea, Anacharis), Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrilla)
Federal Noxious weed List: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=Federal
Any plants listed on the federal noxious weed list are illegal to transport, buy, or sell, particularly across state lines. Common aquarium plants on this list: Hygrophila Polysperma (Dwarf Hygro, Indian Waterweed)
Endangered or Threatened Species
The Lacey Act implements CITES in the United States: http://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/lacey-act.html
This prohibits transport and sale of various threatened or endangered species. For details on which species are covered by CITES, see the following link:
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) species information: http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/species-information.html
Common species banned by the Lacey Act: Scleropages formosus (Asian Arowana)
Collection Laws
The 2013 Fish Washington Sport Fishing Rules booklet: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01500/wdfw01500.pdf
In the state of Washington it is illegal to transport live game fish without a permit. This means that one can't harvest fish from waterways in Washington State and add them to an aquarium. In addition, it's illegal to sell recreationally caught fish.
Scientific Collection Permits: http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/scp
It's also illegal to collect fish from waters in Washington State for research or public display purposes without a permit.
This is not an exhaustive set of laws, so please let me know if you’re aware of any I’ve missed and I’ll update this post. Also, please let me know if you’re aware of common species banned by these various laws that are not yet listed so that I may update those lists as well.
Failure to abide by these rules may result in one or more of the following forum actions, depending on severity: private lecture via PM, public lecture via post, deletion of post and / or thread, removal of offending user from Washington FishBox. The last step is highly unlikely, but please try to respect the rules.
We actively encourage every member here on FishBox to enjoy the aquarium hobby within the confines of the law.
Laws covering aquatic animal and plant species can be broken into three categories. The first is invasive species - possession, transportation, and sale of these animals and plants within the state of Washington or the United States are prohibited due to their propensity to cause ecological damage. The second category is protected species - transportation and sale of these animals and plants are prohibited on the basis that they are threatened or endangered in the wild. The third category is collection laws.
First and foremost: It is illegal to release aquarium animals or plants into the wild, period. Don't do it, EVER.
Invasive / Pest Species
Animals
Washington State Aquatic invasive Animal Species: http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/wac.html
Raw Law Text: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-12-090
This list covers all invasive aquatic species including vertebrates and invertebrates. Any species listed under section 1 is prohibited by law meaning they cannot be kept, transported, bought, or sold. Some common aquaria banned by this law: All crayfish (there are some very narrow exceptions here, read the law for details), snakeheads, piranhas, various carp, round goby, certain gars, rosy red (fathead) minnow.
Federal Plant Pest Regulation
A PPQ 526 plant pest permit is required for the importation or interstate movement of mollusks that feed upon or infest plants or plant products.
APHIS page: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/permits/organism/snails_slugs.shtml
This includes: Pomacea Canaliculata - the big brother of Pomacea Diffusa (Mystery snails are NOT regulated).
Plants
Washington State Noxious Weed Quarantine list: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/searchResultsQuarantine.asp
Any plants listed on the Washington State noxious weed quarantine list are illegal to possess, transport, buy, or sell. The list of aquatic plants is near the bottom of the page. Some very common aquarium plants on this list: Cabomba Caroliniana (Green Cabomba / Fanwort), Egeria Densa (Brazilian Elodea, Anacharis), Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrilla)
Federal Noxious weed List: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=Federal
Any plants listed on the federal noxious weed list are illegal to transport, buy, or sell, particularly across state lines. Common aquarium plants on this list: Hygrophila Polysperma (Dwarf Hygro, Indian Waterweed)
Endangered or Threatened Species
The Lacey Act implements CITES in the United States: http://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/lacey-act.html
This prohibits transport and sale of various threatened or endangered species. For details on which species are covered by CITES, see the following link:
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) species information: http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/species-information.html
Common species banned by the Lacey Act: Scleropages formosus (Asian Arowana)
Collection Laws
The 2013 Fish Washington Sport Fishing Rules booklet: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01500/wdfw01500.pdf
In the state of Washington it is illegal to transport live game fish without a permit. This means that one can't harvest fish from waterways in Washington State and add them to an aquarium. In addition, it's illegal to sell recreationally caught fish.
Scientific Collection Permits: http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/scp
It's also illegal to collect fish from waters in Washington State for research or public display purposes without a permit.
This is not an exhaustive set of laws, so please let me know if you’re aware of any I’ve missed and I’ll update this post. Also, please let me know if you’re aware of common species banned by these various laws that are not yet listed so that I may update those lists as well.
