Can I move live fish from where I catch them and what about catch and release fishing such as in tournaments? What about live wells and bilge water?
Why are these regulations being put in place? With the rapid increase in fish diseases invading our state, it has become critical to enlist anglers as allies in this fight to protect their fishing opportunities. Angler behaviors provide excellent ways to move fish diseases from waterbody to waterbody. Transmission routes include indiscriminate use of live and frozen baitfish and fish eggs (roe), movement of live game fish from one waterbody to another and movement of any container of water including live wells and bilges from waterbody to waterbody. This Order is designed to provide a set of best management practices for bait dealers and anglers to ensure that they are not a vehicle to move diseases around our waters. We do not want anyone to be a cause for fish disease outbreaks. Why are there two parts to the regulations? The first is a set of general provisions that cover both a range of angler actions and provide a mechanism for certified disease-free bait to be available to angler
