1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; modifying provisions for importing, stocking, and 
1.3 	transferring fish eggs in aquaculture;amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 
1.4 	17.4986, subdivisions 2, 3; 17.4987; 17.4992, subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 17.4986, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 2.Licensed facilities. (a) The commissioner shall issue transportation permits to 
1.8 	import:
1.9 	(1) indigenous and naturalized species except trout, salmon, catfish, or species on the 
1.10 	VHS-susceptible-species list and sperm from any source to a standard facility;
1.11 	(2) trout, salmon, catfish, or species on the VHS-susceptible-species list from a 
1.12 	nonemergency enzootic disease area to a containment facility if the fish are certified within 
1.13 	the previous year to be free of certifiable diseases, except that eggs with enteric redmouth, 
1.14 	whirling disease, or furunculosis from sources that test positive for Yersinia ruckeri, 
1.15 	Myxobolus cerebralis, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, Aeromonas salmonicida, epizootic 
1.16 	epitheliotropic disease virus, or viral hemorrhagic septicemia may be imported following 
1.17 	treatment approved by the commissioner, and fish with bacterial kidney disease or viral 
1.18 	hemorrhagic septicemia or eggs from sources that test positive for Renibacterium 
1.19 	salmoninarum may be imported into areas where the disease pathogen has been identified 
1.20 	as being present; and
1.21 	(3) trout, salmon, catfish, or species on the VHS-susceptible-species list from a facility 
1.22 	in a nonemergency enzootic disease area with a disease-free history of three years or more 
1.23 	to a standard facility, except that eggs with enteric redmouth, whirling disease, or furunculosis
2.1 	from sources that test positive for Yersinia ruckeri, Myxobolus cerebralis, Tetracapsuloides 
2.2 	bryosalmonae, Aeromonas salmonicida, epizootic epitheliotropic disease virus, or viral 
2.3 	hemorrhagic septicemia may be imported following treatment approved by the commissioner, 
2.4 	and fish with bacterial kidney disease or viral hemorrhagic septicemia or eggs from sources 
2.5 	that test positive for Renibacterium salmoninarum may be imported into areas where the 
2.6 	disease pathogen has been identified as being present.
2.7 	(b) If a source facility in a nonemergency enzootic disease area cannot demonstrate a 
2.8 	history free from disease, aquatic life may only be imported into a quarantine facility.

2.9 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 17.4986, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
2.10 		Subd. 3.Emergency enzootic disease area. (a) Except as provided under paragraph 
2.11 	(b) and as otherwise provided and except that eggs with enteric redmouth, whirling disease, 
2.12 	or furunculosis may be imported following treatment approved by the commissioner, and 
2.13 	fish with bacterial kidney disease may be imported into areas where the disease has been 
2.14 	previously introduced, fish may be imported from emergency enzootic disease areas only 
2.15 	as fertilized eggs under the following conditions:
2.16 	(1) to be imported into a standard facility, fertilized eggs must have a disease-free history 
2.17 	for at least five years;
2.18 	(2) to be imported into a containment facility, fertilized eggs must have a disease-free 
2.19 	history for at least three years; or
2.20 	(3) to be imported into a quarantine facility, fertilized eggs may have a disease-free 
2.21 	history of less than three years.
2.22 	(b) Eggs from sources that test positive for Yersinia ruckeri, Myxobolus cerebralis, 
2.23 	Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, Aeromonas salmonicida, epizootic epitheliotropic disease 
2.24 	virus, or viral hemorrhagic septicemia may be imported following treatment approved by 
2.25 	the commissioner. Fish or eggs from sources that test positive for Renibacterium 
2.26 	salmoninarum may be imported into areas where the pathogen has been identified as being 
2.27 	present.

2.28 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 17.4987, is amended to read:
2.29 	17.4987 STOCKING PRIVATE AQUATIC LIFE.
2.30 	(a) A person may not release private aquatic life into public waters that are not licensed 
2.31 	as part of an aquatic farm without first obtaining a transportation permit from the 
2.32 	commissioner. The commissioner may:
3.1 	(1) deny issuance of a permit if releasing the private aquatic life is not consistent with 
3.2 	the management plan for the public waters; and
3.3 	(2) approve the import, transport, and stocking of fish with bacterial kidney disease or 
3.4 	viral hemorrhagic septicemia or eggs from sources that test positive for Renibacterium 
3.5 	salmoninarum into areas or waters where either disease the pathogen has been identified 
3.6 	as being present.
3.7 	(b) The commissioner shall make management plans available to the public.
3.8 	(c) If a permit is denied, the commissioner must provide reasons for the denial in writing.

3.9 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 17.4992, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.10 		Subd. 2.Restriction on the sale of fish. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), species 
3.11 	on the VHS-susceptible-species list must be free of viral hemorrhagic septicemia and species 
3.12 	of the family salmonidae or ictaluridae, except bullheads, must be free of certifiable diseases 
3.13 	if sold for stocking or transfer to another aquatic farm.
3.14 	(b) The following exceptions apply to paragraph (a):
3.15 	(1) eggs with enteric redmouth, whirling disease, or furunculosis from sources that test 
3.16 	positive for Yersinia ruckeri, Myxobolus cerebralis, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, 
3.17 	Aeromonas salmonicida, epizootic epitheliotropic disease virus, or viral hemorrhagic 
3.18 	septicemia may be transferred between licensed facilities or stocked following treatment 
3.19 	approved by the commissioner;
3.20 	(2) fish with bacterial kidney disease or viral hemorrhagic septicemia or eggs from 
3.21 	sources that test positive for Renibacterium salmoninarum may be transferred between 
3.22 	licensed facilities or stocked in areas where the disease pathogen has been identified as 
3.23 	being present; and
3.24 	(3) the commissioner may allow transfer between licensed facilities or stocking of fish 
3.25 	with enteric redmouth or furunculosis from facilities that test positive for Yersinia ruckeri
3.26 	or Aeromonas salmonicida when the commissioner determines that doing so would pose 
3.27 	no threat to the state's aquatic resources.