Article 4. Grass Carp of California Fish And Game Code >> Division 6. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 4.

The Legislature finds and declares that triploid grass carp have the potential to control aquatic nuisance plants in non-public waters allowing for reduced chemical control but that the threat that grass carp pose to aquatic habitat may outweigh its benefits. It is the intent of this section to allow the department to use its management authority to provide for the long-term health of the ecosystem in the state including the aquatic ecosystem, and in that context, manage grass carp either through control of movement, eradication of populations, acquisition of habitat and any other action that the department finds will maintain the biological diversity and the long term, overall health of the state's environment. The department shall undertake the management of grass carp in a manner that is consistent with provisions of this code and for the purposes of this section the department shall define management as handling, controlling, destroying, or moving species. The Legislature does not intend for this section to provide a right for the use of triploid grass carp if the department finds that use of the species poses an unacceptable risk to the state's existing ecosystem.

The department shall adopt regulations that provide for the control of aquatic plant pests using artificially introduced triploid grass carp under a permit issued by the department. The regulations shall do all of the following:
  (a) Restrict triploid grass carp introductions to those triploid grass carp that have been rendered sterile immediately after the eggs have been fertilized.
  (b) Require individual fish to be checked to ensure that a third, triploid, set of chromosomes has been retained, preventing further reproduction by that individual fish.
  (c) Limit aquatic plant pest control programs using triploid grass carp to the use of sterile triploid grass carp with documented certification of triploidy to ensure sterility.
  (d) Require the identification by tagging of individual fish as the property of each owner.
  (e) Require the posting of notices at stocked bodies of water declaring the penalties for removing triploid grass carp.
  (f) Limit the permits for the use of triploid grass carp in waters on golf courses located in residential areas to those waters that are determined by the department to be secure from the removal of triploid grass carp to unauthorized waters.
  (g) Provide for management of the triploid grass carp populations in a manner consistent with the provisions of this code where the department finds that such actions will benefit the long-term health of the state's biodiversity as a whole.
  (h) Until January 1, 1999, the regulations shall not authorize the issuance of permits for the use of triploid grass carp in waters located within condominium areas of any residential area for which a permit may not be issued pursuant to subdivision (f) except at three locations within the area authorized pursuant to this subdivision. The three locations shall be selected by the department in consultation with the Imperial Irrigation District. The limitation to three locations is necessary to enable monitoring of human-induced movement of triploid grass carp to unauthorized waters and to permit the evaluation of the impact of the experiment.

All providers of triploid grass carp for use under this article shall provide certification acceptable to the department of triploidy and disease-free conditions for all fish introduced.

Prior to receiving a permit from the department to use triploid grass carp, the potential user shall provide to the department all of the information required by the department, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (a) The type of waterway to be stocked.
  (b) The site has no connections to adjacent fresh water systems.
  (c) All aquatic plant management problems, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (1) The acres of aquatic plants, by species, at the peak of growing season.
  (2) The desired vegetation quantity or coverage.
  (3) The number and size of triploid grass carp recommended.
  (4) All sensitive plant or animal species within the waterway to be stocked and any connected waterways.

(a) On or before March 1 of each year following the first year after triploid grass carp introduction, the permittee shall provide to the department all of the information required by the department, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (1) The number and size of triploid grass carp recommended for the waterway stocked.
  (2) The number and size of triploid grass carp stocked in the waterway.
  (3) The acres of aquatic plants, by species, at the peak of the growing season in the year prior to introduction of triploid grass carp in the waterway stocked.
  (4) The acres of aquatic plants, by species, at the peak of the current year growing season.
  (b) The annual report shall be submitted until five years after the use of triploid grass carp to control aquatic plant pests is terminated, unless evidence acceptable to the department is provided that all triploid grass carp have been removed from the waterway.

The department shall establish permit and inspection fees sufficient to recover, but not exceed, the initial and ongoing costs of the program under this article.

The department shall impose conditions in the permit to use triploid grass carp under this article that it finds necessary to prevent escape of the triploid grass carp from the targeted area. The conditions shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
  (a) No permit shall be issued for the use of triploid grass carp in waters with an open fresh water connection to other waters of the state.
  (b) Any waters in which triploid grass carp are used under this article shall be under the control of the permittee. In addition, barriers to fish movement acceptable to the department shall be in place before introduction of triploid grass carp under this article. Movement of triploid grass carp to areas outside the control of the permittee is prohibited.
  (c) Any waters in which triploid grass carp are used under this article shall have sufficient dissolved oxygen and suitable vegetation for consumption to sustain the introduced triploid grass carp, as determined by the department.
  (d) Except within closed basins, including the Salton Sea, no permit shall be issued for the use of triploid grass carp within the 100-year flood plain.
  (e) Any person or persons engaging in the introduction of triploid grass carp into any area, or in the transfer of triploid grass carp from one site to another, without a permit from the department shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

Nothing in this article shall be construed as restricting grass carp programs approved by the department on or before June 1, 1995.

Because of its experience and continuing involvement with hydrilla control programs, the implementation of Sections 6450 and 6454 shall be carried out in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture.

If the department obtains documented and verifiable evidence of escapements of triploid grass carp permitted under this article into unauthorized waters, the unauthorized use of grass carp, or threats to fish and wildlife and their habitats as the result of this program, it may, upon a written finding by the director to that effect, suspend the permit issuance process authorized by this article. If the situation is local, the suspension may be limited to that area whose waters, habitat, and fish and wildlife resources are threatened. The suspension shall last until the director makes a written finding that the threat has been abated.