Commercial tilapia farm in Northern California - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T11:22:22Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/commercial-tilapia-farm-in-northern-california?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A315912&feed=yes&xn_auth=noBTW, Peter, how's the DFG cat…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-06:4778851:Comment:3165082012-04-06T01:30:47.214ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
BTW, Peter, how's the DFG catfish approval coming along?
BTW, Peter, how's the DFG catfish approval coming along? You're quite right, Peter, es…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-06:4778851:Comment:3164182012-04-06T01:27:51.895ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
You're quite right, Peter, especially with catfish. It is positively illegal to buy catfish from out of state, and those who get permission to do so must quarantine them for 60 days (I think), due to "hole in the head disease". According to a hatchery near us in Cali, the disease is already present in Cali, but DFG won't admit it. I ordered a large batch of bluegill (2000) and along with the load came about 200 jumbo minnows, 50 crappie, 50 green sunfish, and some big tadpoles. The jumbo…
You're quite right, Peter, especially with catfish. It is positively illegal to buy catfish from out of state, and those who get permission to do so must quarantine them for 60 days (I think), due to "hole in the head disease". According to a hatchery near us in Cali, the disease is already present in Cali, but DFG won't admit it. I ordered a large batch of bluegill (2000) and along with the load came about 200 jumbo minnows, 50 crappie, 50 green sunfish, and some big tadpoles. The jumbo minnows originate from Alabama, and apparently won't even breed here in Cali. I can't believe it is profitable to truck live minnows from Alabama to Cali simply for a forage fish. These minnows suck. They looked pretty bad to start with, and a steady number of them die off every day. I hope they don't carry the flatworms you spoke of, Peter. What do they look like and where do I look for them? Do they infect other species?<br />
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As far as tilapia, I am unaware of them carrying any common disease, and not sure a tropical disease could contaminate temperate species. I'd be surprised if there were any, because in my numerous conversations with DFG regarding tilapia, disease has never come up. For that matter, there is no restriction on importing any TROPICAL freshwater fish from out if state, regardless of hatchery certification. Bingotag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3161562012-04-05T21:31:56.406ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
Bingo
Bingo You are correct sir, they are…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3160942012-04-05T21:10:06.973ZFishy McFishersonhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/FishyMcFisherson
<p>You are correct sir, they are not a closed loop system. I was more going on a tirade about the plight of the aquaponic farmer</p>
<p><br/>Sounds like I need to start thinking of myself as an aquarium hobbiest and sell/give only pet food to my close friends and family.</p>
<p>You are correct sir, they are not a closed loop system. I was more going on a tirade about the plight of the aquaponic farmer</p>
<p><br/>Sounds like I need to start thinking of myself as an aquarium hobbiest and sell/give only pet food to my close friends and family.</p> I'm with you, Fishy. I don't…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3162182012-04-05T14:16:09.343ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
I'm with you, Fishy. I don't doubt that they exist, or even that they raise tilapia and sell it to markets. I'm just stating that if they do, they are either operating outside the law, or they have bribed the proper DFG officials for paperwork, which is both likely and possible, even probable. DFG does have, and should have, jurisdiction over fish farming. However, DFG is corrupt and fraudulent with their authority, and illogical with their policy.<br />
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And it sounded like the aquaculture business…
I'm with you, Fishy. I don't doubt that they exist, or even that they raise tilapia and sell it to markets. I'm just stating that if they do, they are either operating outside the law, or they have bribed the proper DFG officials for paperwork, which is both likely and possible, even probable. DFG does have, and should have, jurisdiction over fish farming. However, DFG is corrupt and fraudulent with their authority, and illogical with their policy.<br />
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And it sounded like the aquaculture business you described takes in geothermal spring water, and dumps it through a sand bed, which is NOT a closed loop system. If they stand a chance of contaminating groundwater, then there should be a watchdog monitoring that.<br />
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DFG is not involved with the aquarium industry because it is too big and fights too hard to control. So they made some exemptions in the requirements for aquaculture. Specifically, temperate species of ONLY koi and goldfish are exempt, and all tropical freshwater fish NOT for human consumption, are exempt. In Cali, you and I and anyone can raise any tropical freshwater fish in a closed system for hobby purposes, as long as it is not on the prohibited list. If we decide to eat it, that is out choice. We can even buy and sell live fish for profit, for hobby fish, and we can sell fish fillets for pet food, without an aquaculture permit.<br />
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Technically, we have to have a stocking permit for any temperate fish other than koi and goldfish, including bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish, and natives like trout, sac blackfish, and sac perch. This is a gray area, because one bit of verbage in the code states that 'freshwater for hobby purposes' are exempt, and another bit of verbage in the same code states that 'tropical freshwater' are exempt. Probably a typo, and until they fix it I'm running with the statement that 'all freshwater fish' for hobby purposes are exempt. I personally think that all Cali natives should be exempt from all permit requirements. What is DFG afraid of, that a native fish might escape back into a native waterway? The listing on page 5 is a di…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3158862012-04-05T07:12:19.688ZFishy McFishersonhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/FishyMcFisherson
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030175">The listing on page 5 is a different farm, you can opt out of being listed on that publication when registering. See the "Attention Applicants" line about 1/3 of the way down the first page of <a href="http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=35115&inline=true" target="_blank"><font color="#000080">this form</font></a>. The farm in question does not sell to the public, no reason to be listed.</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030177">I know it…</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030175">The listing on page 5 is a different farm, you can opt out of being listed on that publication when registering. See the "Attention Applicants" line about 1/3 of the way down the first page of <a href="http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=35115&inline=true" target="_blank"><font color="#000080">this form</font></a>. The farm in question does not sell to the public, no reason to be listed.</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030177">I know it is contrary to everything <span id="misspell-0" class="mark">DFG</span> says in their documentation, but the farm has been going for several years. It is no secret what they are doing. The road they are on is the main artery between <span id="misspell-1" class="mark">Redding</span> and the county seat, <span id="misspell-2" class="mark">Alturas</span>. You can practically roll down the window and spit on their tanks when driving by. They contract with someone in the SF bay area who brings them <span id="misspell-3" class="mark">fingerlings</span>, they grow them out, and the truck hauls back market size fish once a week.</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030179">Either they found the loophole we've all been praying for, or they're operating outside the law.</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030181">Frankly, and from here on in is purely my opinion, I fail to see how <span id="misspell-4" class="mark">FNG</span> has any authority on anything in closed loop <span id="misspell-5" class="mark">aquaponic</span> systems, as they have little jurisdiction on the aquarium industry. Aquariums and <span id="misspell-6" class="mark">aquaponic</span> tanks aren't all that different, we just have way cooler tank filters than those guys do. I'd bet that someone who buys a fish for their aquarium which ends up growing much faster than expected is more likely to dump it in a river or lake than an <span id="misspell-7" class="mark">aquapon</span>. We'd just eat the sucker! If the deciding factor is that the <span id="misspell-6">fish</span> are for human consumption, why the heck is it <span id="misspell-8" class="mark">FNG's</span> department? Fish for food reared in closed systems seems like a subject which should be presided over by the department of AG, or some other food safety bureaucrats.</p>
<p id="yui_3_2_0_17_1333608240030183">At most, a closed loop system should have an <span id="misspell-9"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13336082400306538">annual</span></span> inspection to ensure the <span id="misspell-10"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13336082400306603">operation</span></span> and its procedures are functioning with minimal risk for introducing non native <span id="misspell-11"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13336082400306676">species</span></span> to waterways, and then it would be the food safety people's job to ensure the system is producing healthy, disease free fish.</p> http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHan…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3158662012-04-05T03:51:49.816ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
<a href="http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3265&inline=true" target="_blank">http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3265&inline=true</a><br />
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Top of page 5, and they do NOT have tilapia approval for aquaculture.
<a href="http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3265&inline=true" target="_blank">http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3265&inline=true</a><br />
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Top of page 5, and they do NOT have tilapia approval for aquaculture. Hey Fishy. Something fishy wi…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-04-05:4778851:Comment:3159122012-04-05T03:39:47.694ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
Hey Fishy. Something fishy with your story. DFG does have jurisdiction over all fish grown for human consumption, even if grown in a bathtub inside a firesafe, that is inside a bomb shelter, in the middle a junkyard guarded by pitbulls.<br></br>
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Also, if they dump their water in the open air, even if it leaches through sand before entering the river, then there is a chance fry could be picked up by birds and carried to waterways (especially during floods), and of course the nutrient pollution…
Hey Fishy. Something fishy with your story. DFG does have jurisdiction over all fish grown for human consumption, even if grown in a bathtub inside a firesafe, that is inside a bomb shelter, in the middle a junkyard guarded by pitbulls.<br/>
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Also, if they dump their water in the open air, even if it leaches through sand before entering the river, then there is a chance fry could be picked up by birds and carried to waterways (especially during floods), and of course the nutrient pollution may still make it's way to waterways or groundwater. I'm not saying it does, but DFG would want to know.<br/>
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And, DFG does have a prohibited species list, which covers import, export, and possession. Blue and Nile tilapia are prohibited, hornorum and mossambicus ok.