Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nanfa_at_aquaria.net On Behalf
Of Todd Crail
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 10:26 AM
To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
Subject: Re: NANFA-- fishing in the cement pond - now with mussel!
From: "Mark Otnes" <markotnes_at_email.msn.com>
>
> that sounds like a good meal. Be careful though, you've probably violated
> some law about raising fish for eating without a license.
>
Speaking of breaking the law... We had one of the Ohio DNR fellas out with
us to monitor our take of wild Karner Blues for propogation the other day.
I asked him about mussels and their collection, because it seems apparent
that possession is illegal, peroid... Well, excepting for this confusing
little ditty I found on the ODNR website concerning using mussels for
"bait". Seems it's against the law to take any valves home, but you can
hack up 15 right there stream side and put their meat on a hook. But be
*sure* to leave the valves there at the stream?!?!?!
My earlier assumption was correct... The law is in place for an officer to
use their discretion and to basically stop people collecting for commercial
purposes without the appropriate permits and such. So... It is possible for
a normal person to collect mussel valves and be in a whiter shade of gray in
Ohio with a fishing liscence, 30 valves at a time.
*BUT* do *NOT* take any species that are Federally Endangered or State
Endangered, Threatened, or even Species of Concern to avoid any issues and
keep yourself out of the darker shades of gray for sure. Be sure you know
the species you are collecting and for conservation sake, only collect
already abandoned valves. Also, if you're aware that an area is high
quality (containing imperiled species) it's advisable to seek elsewhere.
There's enough Wabash Pigtoes, Giant Floaters and White Heelsplitters laying
in low quality streams around the state to collect.
This will alleviate any potential compromising situations with the Law, and
still provide for study of mussels (which is what I'm interested in the
valves for) or for decoration of your native aquarium.
We then diverged into a conversation about keeping native fish in aquaria
without scientific permits. He got all nervy and I said "Don't worry. I'm
just raising bigger 'bait' and hopefully making a renewable captive source
of 'bait'. If I go over the possession limit of 500, I'll definately get a
dealer's liscence... But then you should call the press, cause Hell
basically just froze over and Mrs. Crail let me set up some more tanks."
He just smiled then.
Todd
"The nation behaves well if it treats resources as assets
which it must turn over to the next generation increased,
and not impaired, in value."
- President Theodore Roosevelt
http://www.farmertodd.com
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