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Originally Posted by spence
Reading the RI reg on the Chapter 20-10 Aquculture Biosecurity Board, it would seem the state has the issue under control.
Contrary to Parker23's initial post the law dictates a reasonable level of expertise to evaluate the situation for application of importation permits.
If both MA and CT have denied permits, I wouldn't expect to see them in RI...but given how this state works...who knows 
-spence |
§ 20-10-1.2 Biosecurity Board – Powers and duties. – It shall be the duty of the biosecurity board to assist and advise the council in carrying out the provisions of this chapter. In performing this duty, the biosecurity board shall cooperate with appropriate state and federal agencies, including but not limited to the department of health, and shall recommend inspections as necessary to ensure compliance with public health standards. The biosecurity board shall from time to time review federal agency regulations pertaining to aquaculture disease and the importation of non-indigenous and genetically altered species and shall otherwise maintain a current understanding of aquatic diseases and management practices necessary to preserving the aquaculture industry and wild stock. The members of the biosecurity board shall serve without salary.
Title 20-10 chapter deals with Aquaculture, and why this board was created. This fish does not fall under that category, by the following definition: § 20-10-2 Definitions. – As used in this chapter:
(1) "Aquaculture" refers to the cultivation, rearing, or propagation of aquatic plants or animals under either natural or artificial conditions;
Read there where it mandates that they consult the appropriate federal and state agencies..... If they had, they should have no problems. These fish are shipped internationally by the minnow farm with all appropriate health certificates and permits, and are federally legal....
Furthermore:
§ 20-11-7 License required for selling fresh water minnows. – It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or barter or engage in the business of taking or catching for the purpose of selling or bartering fresh water live minnows for bait, or to possess more than one hundred (100) fresh water live minnows, without first procuring a license from the department of environmental management. For the purpose of this chapter, "fresh water minnows" shall be defined to include all minnows and the young of all species of fresh water fish except the game species, trout, northern pike, pickerel, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, shad, Atlantic salmon, and alewives.
This is the permit given to the minnow farm and the local distributor. The definition is clear cut. This is a minnow by their own ruling.
MA and CT both have rulings and laws already in place dealing with prohibition of goldfish and use as a bait in inland FRESH waters. MA marine division says it is legal to use as bait in MARINE waters. Sale and importation are different than useage. The issue at stake and affect here is the RI DEM's intial permitting and subsequent back-tracking after the fact(almost a year), and the fact that no laws exist for the denial or delay of importation......