Originally Posted 14th-March-2009

In Utah you can keep ornamental fish without a license. If you intend to eat, breed, or sell fish, then you must have a license and EACH species must be approved. Searching the Internet I found the regulations at: http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/...al_animals.pdf.

As it turns out, Tilapia is prohibited and only 1 person that I can find has ever been granted a variance. Red Claw Crayfish are controlled, meaning you better make a good argument. Trout are allowed as well as, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill. Silver Perch they have never heard of it.

The application process goes like this.
1) I submitted an Application For Certificate Of Registration (COR) found here: http://ag.utah.gov/licensing/documents/aq_COR_app.pdf.
2) The form is designed for a facility producing a single species, so I attached a list of all the species I might want to try, including prohibited and controlled species.
3) I submitted it to the Utah Department of Agriculture Fish Health Department. (Incidentally the people there are very helpful and the best to work with.). They review the list, take your $150 dollar application fee (to be an aquaculture facility). If you never plan on selling, you can license as a catch out pond for less.
4) Then they came out and visit my site.
5) Once they are satisfied your fish can't get in the natural waterways, they send the species list to the Department of Wildlife Resources.
6) 2-3 weeks later the DWR contacted me and scheduled to came out to also inspect the facility. Initially on the phone they said they were just going to deny everything that was controlled and prohibited. I expected the prohibited, but not the controlled (Red Claw). I explained that Red Claw Crayfish have been raised in Utah (Belmont Hot Springs), that they cannot survive cold water and would die off, even if they escaped, that its in a recirculating system with no inlets or outlets, inside a sealed locked greenhouse.
7) The DWR came and inspected the facility and took pictures. At this point I was told that they would allow Red Claw, Hybrid Striped Bass, and Trout. Everything else is denied. He said its up to you, but I Im telling you that I dont want to see a variance application for Tilapia, but its up to you.
8) Then they send their approvals back to the Dept. of Ag, who will notify me that I have a license and which fish are licensed. (still waiting).

Since then I have contacted the one person who received approval for Tilapia. The DWR required a 6 security fence, 24 hour surveillance, no outlets (any outlet water was flooded into dry out ponds that were completely dried in rotation. He had a 50 page application to be a full blown breeder, supplier, and producer using natural hot water from springs he owned.
The Variance process can take 4-6 months. Im still considering when to do that and if it is worth it for a small system (it costs $200 just to submit the application).

As it is, as soon as the license comes through, I have a Red Claw supplier lined up. Ive worked with the Dept. of Ag and they must test the Red Claw for diseases, as the supplier is not required to do testing in his state. First he will ship 20 juveniles directly to the Utah Department of Agriculture. They will kill and test these and assuming no diseases, the supplier will be approved. Then they will ship in another 30-40 juveniles and a few breeders. That will lightly stock my tank.

Fish suppliers need to have 3-5 years of disease free lab tests or I have to pay to have the State do the tests. If I want to raise Trout, there are lots of suppliers, but warm water fish are just missing from the Utah approved list.

Ive been contacting the Hybrid Striped Bass suppliers. There is one supplier already approved for Utah. However, HSB only spawn in April-May and fingerling's are only available after June. So, Im stuck waiting for fish for another 3 months. Furthermore HSB do not spawn easily in small systems. While I think they will be good fish to raise, They are carnivorous and they may not co-exists with Red Claw, AND you can only get them one time per year.

Im considering Yellow Perch and Bluegill, but they have other problems, such as they mature very small and grow slowly. Also Largemouth Bass take forever to mature (3 years to market size in ponds). So I think this year I will experiment with Red Claw and HSBs. and after I feel like I know what I am doing and have more energy, then I will tackle the Tilapia licensing with its write-ups, presentations, and applications.

Next time - Tank Cycling and temperature regulation. I'm 14 days into it and Nitrates are rising (so is Nitrite - off the scale).

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