Current through September 21, 2024
(a) A fish health inspection and AIS hatchery
inspection shall be required of all fish hatcheries seeking designation as a
Department approved private fish hatchery unless exempted below. Fish health
and AIS hatchery inspections shall be conducted annually in accordance with
this regulation.
(i) The Department shall
exempt private fish hatcheries licensed primarily for tropical or ornamental
fish from the specific fish health inspection requirements of this
section.
(ii) The Department may
exempt private fish hatcheries licensed primarily for tropical or ornamental
fish or solely for baitfish from the specific AIS inspection requirements of
this section.
(A) Private fish hatcheries
exempted from the specific inspection requirements of this section may be
required to provide evidence, allow inspections, or implement procedures
necessary to ensure AIS of concern and pathogens of concern will not be spread
or introduced to the waters of this state.
(iii) A fish hatchery seeking designation as
a Department approved private fish hatchery may request an exception to the
specific requirements of this section by submitting a written proposal to the
Department. The Chief of Fisheries may approve such exceptions so long as the
probability of introducing an AIS of concern or pathogen of concern is
minimal.
(b) Fish Health
Inspections. All fish health inspections shall be performed in accordance with
Appendix I of this regulation and documented in a fish health inspection
report.
(i) The collection of fish health
samples at in-state private fish hatcheries shall be conducted by the
Department at the Department's expense. A completed application shall be
submitted to the Department to request this inspection no less than fifteen
(15) days prior to inspection. The application shall be legible, fully
completed, signed and dated by the applicant. It shall be a violation of this
regulation for the applicant to make a false statement on the application.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted by the Department.
(A) Laboratory analyses associated with fish
health inspections shall be conducted at the licensee's expense.
(ii) A fish health inspection
shall include lethal sampling of all lots present at the private fish hatchery
at the time of inspection.
(iii)
The fish health inspection report shall include results of tests for each
pathogen of concern for which a water source or lot was sampled.
(iv) Fish health inspection reports shall be
valid for 365 consecutive days from the final report date unless subsequent
testing detects a pathogen(s) that poses a health risk(s) to Wyoming's
wildlife.
(A) Fish shall not be moved from a
facility unless the owner or authorized agent is in possession of a valid,
unexpired fish health inspection report.
(v) Aquaculture facilities operating in
Wyoming or requesting authority to import into Wyoming shall provide fish
health inspection reports from the past three (3) years upon request by the
Department.
(vi) No fish showing
clinical signs or suspected clinical signs (lethargic behavior, abnormal
mortality, lesions, etc.) of disease shall be stocked or imported. Suspected
disease in any captive fish shall be reported to the Department
immediately.
(c) AIS
Inspections. All AIS hatchery inspections shall be conducted at least annually
between June 15 and October 15 by an AIS hatchery inspector in accordance with
this regulation and results shall be documented in an AIS hatchery inspection
report.
(i) Inspection of in-state private
fish hatcheries, including the collection of samples, shall be conducted by the
Department at the Department's expense. A request for an AIS hatchery
inspection shall be submitted to the Department on or before September 15 of
the inspection year.
(ii) The AIS
hatchery inspector shall inspect the hatchery water sources, aquaculture
facilities, all fish handling areas and equipment used for the production,
handling and transportation of fish using standard Department sampling and
testing procedures.
(A) The annual AIS
inspection shall include all ponds for facilities that utilize twenty five (25)
ponds or fewer.
(B) For hatchery
facilities that utilize more than twenty five (25) ponds, the annual AIS
inspection shall include fifty percent (50%) of the total number of ponds on
the facility or twenty five (25) ponds, whichever is greater. Every pond shall
be inspected at least once every two (2) years.
(C) The Department may require samples of
suspected AIS of concern to be shipped to the Department AIS coordinator for
identification at the hatchery owner's expense.
(D) Laboratory analyses associated with AIS
hatchery inspections shall be conducted at the Department's expense.
(iii) AIS hatchery inspection
reports documenting an AIS hatchery inspection that failed to detect AIS of
concern shall be valid for 365 consecutive days from the final report date
unless subsequent testing detects an AIS of concern.
(iv) Aquaculture facilities operating in
Wyoming or requesting authority to import into Wyoming shall provide AIS
hatchery inspection reports from the past three (3) years upon request by the
Department.
(d) A
Department approved private fish hatchery shall allow additional fish health
and AIS inspection(s) of aquaculture facilities, fish, fish eggs or fish
gametes and inspection of all records during reasonable hours and with
reasonable notice in order to ensure compliance with all requirements of this
regulation.
(i) The Department shall have the
right to collect blood, tissue and other biological samples (including lethal
samples) for disease and AIS testing, genetic identification or other purposes
to ensure protection of Wyoming's wildlife resources.
(e) Past fish health and AIS hatchery
inspection reports shall be made available upon request to the Department and
all Wyoming recipients of fish originating from the private fish
hatchery.
