2007 Minnesota Statutes

17.4992 GAME FISH.
    Subdivision 1. Acquisition and purchase. Game fish sperm, viable game fish eggs, or live
game fish may not be taken from public waters for aquaculture purposes, but may be purchased
from the state or acquired from aquatic farms.
    Subd. 2. Restriction on the sale of game fish. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b),
species of the family salmonidae or ictaluridae, except bullheads, must be free of certifiable
diseases if sold for stocking or transfer to another aquatic farm.
(b) The following exceptions apply to paragraph (a):
(1) Eggs with enteric redmouth, whirling disease, or furunculosis may be transferred between
licensed facilities or stocked following treatment approved by the commissioner.
(2) Fish with bacterial kidney disease may be transferred between licensed facilities or
stocked in areas where the disease has been previously introduced.
(3) The commissioner may allow transfer between licensed facilities or stocking of fish
with enteric redmouth or furunculosis when the commissioner determines that doing so would
pose no threat to the state's aquatic resources.
    Subd. 3. Acquisition of fish for brood stock. (a) Game fish brood stock may be sold to
private fish hatcheries or aquatic farms by the state at fair wholesale market value. For brood stock
development, up to 20 pair of adults of each species requested may be provided to a licensee once
every three years, if available, by the state through normal operations.
(b) If brood stock is not available by the June 1 following the request under paragraph (a) and
a permit to take brood stock by angling is requested by the licensee, within 30 days of the request,
the commissioner may issue a permit to the licensee to take, by angling, up to 20 pairs of each
species requested. Game and fish laws and rules relating to daily limits, seasons, and methods
apply to the taking of fish by angling pursuant to a permit issued under this paragraph.
    Subd. 4. Sale of eggs by the state. The commissioner may offer for sale as eggs or fry up to
two percent of the department's annual game fish egg harvest. Additional eggs or fry may be sold
if they are surplus to this state's program needs.
    Subd. 5. Purchase of eggs dependent upon facility. Licensees may purchase game fish
eggs or fry from the state at a rate based on the capacity of their facility to hatch and rear fish.
Licensees may purchase walleye at a rate of no more than one-half quart of eggs or 5,000 fry for
each acre or fraction of licensed surface water. This limitation may be waived if an aquatic farm is
an intensive culture facility. The allowable purchase of trout or salmon eggs must be based on the
capacity of rearing tanks and flow of water through the aquatic farm facility.
    Subd. 6. Stocking walleyes north of marked State Highway 210. Walleyes from outside of
the area of the state north of marked State Highway 210 may not be stocked in waters of the state
north of marked State Highway 210 without approval by the commissioner.
History: 1992 c 566 s 10; 1993 c 226 s 13; 1996 c 410 s 16,17; 2000 c 331 s 4