Legality Of Snakeheads In Mass.

[andyourblueblood]

anyone know what the fine/penalty is for having snakeheads in massachusettes? i do not have any, but i just want to know how severe the punishment is, cause i know people are selling them in a near by city.

 

[andyourblueblood]

anyone?

anyone?

 

[BigC]

I had a little look around,
Cant find anything on penalties or fines, But the powers that be seem to take a pretty dim look at this species. They even poisoned a whole lake to eradicate the predators and years later the population sprung up again. Some states give rewards to anglers.
They are on the banned list by Federal law. (all states) Also had a look on the Massachusetts Dept for Fish and Game and they re-itterate that all species are banned. There is a grey area however that if you owened one before the legislation date then you can keep it. (perhaps under permits)
Regards
BigC

 

[Butch]

Im sure that all species of snakehead are illegal in the Mass. because they are federally illegal in United States. And the snakehead can't be sold for aquarium purposes. Only public aquarium, research labs and zoo....with permit. I would be stay away from these people who selling the living snakeheads as its felony. Not even chinese people have a right to sell live snakehead for food for their culture.

Please don't get snakehead for home aquarium as you don't want get in trouble with the feds.

 

[darknirvana217]

In Massachusetts the snakeheads are registered as a prohibited fish, not even restricted, which means no license or permit can be obtained to own one, and a bad fine or potentially some jail time. whoever is selling these fish needs to stop selling. In some cases officials will make you physically destroy it in from of them to ensure that it does not find its way into public water ways. The snakehead is not federally illegal, but is under the Federal Injurious Fish List, which means you cannot import them or allow them to cross state, i.e. interstate commerce. this ban doesn't mean you can't own them, it just means that you can't import it or bring in from another state like New York, or Pennsylvania. Each state has its own laws, so anyone interested in keeping one of these fish should check their statute books on the legality of them. However, Massachusetts has labeled them prohibited.

 

[DarkEntity]

anyone know what the fine/penalty is for having snakeheads in massachusettes? i do not have any, but i just want to know how severe the punishment is, cause i know people are selling them in a near by city.

The logical place to start looking would be your own local government, or what ever Americans call it. They will have all laws defined and accessible by citizens.

 

[darknirvana217]

Good luck with American Bureaucracy that is local government. i tried to get a permit to own stingrays, and kept getting new answers every time I talked to them about it.

 

[andyourblueblood]

so how do i report these people?

wait so you can own one, you just cant import/export them?

 

[loachman]

Generally, the laws "outlawing" things are written such that you cannot acquire them. It becomes illegal to import, sell, etc. Many gun laws are a prime example of this.

However, if you owned it before the law was enacted, you are okay.

Snakeheads have become an HUGE issue in the USA. Locally, they've put bounties on them for fishermen to collect and have drained entire lakes after they were found in them. They are prohibited for a reason.

 

[darknirvana217]

opps double post.

 

[darknirvana217]

so how do i report these people?

wait so you can own one, you just cant import/export them?

Correct, you can own one if your state allows you too. Like I said you just can't bring it in from China or another state other than your own. If you live in a state where they are legal and found a breeder in your state, I don't know if they are being bred but if they are then this would work, or if someone was looking to get rid of one in your state, you could own it, provided you live in a state where they are not prohibited or restricted. Also, if you had it before the ban you'll probably be ok. Usually for ex post facto laws, ones where you acquired something before it was illegal, you can usually keep the fish. But like I said it all depends on what your state says, some may actually make you surrender the fish regardless of having it before the ban.

You can notify you local Fish and Wildlife commission and they will get a warrant and search that persons house or store for the fish and then force them to surrender the fish to them. Its your call in the end, but if these people get bored with it, do you think it will find its way into your local water way and wreak havoc like it did in Maryland?

I PM with some more information.

Also here's a link to the CNN article about there destruction in Maryland and the ban

http/archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/...land.snakehead/