PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) - Charges against the operator of a Grant County-based fish farm make for Wisconsin’s first-ever invasive carp case, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
A complaint from a member of the public sparked a DNR investigation of Li Fish Farm, LLC in Platteville. The wholesale fish dealer is facing state charges for allegedly illegally selling Asian carp, the state’s most highly destructive and prominent invasive species, the DNR says.
“These types of carp are highly invasive species that out-compete Wisconsin native fish species and can destroy their habitats,” said Lt. Robert Stroess, DNR warden administrator for Commercial Fishing, Wholesale Fish Dealing and Charter Fishing Enforcement. “The species is top on the Least Wanted Aquatic Invasive Species List from the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers.”
The DNR says the fish farm operator is facing four criminal charges of possession of illegal fish and a fifth charge of vehicle ID requirements violation. Additional pending citations for similar violations are expected from the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement.
While the Conservation Warden’s investigation focused primarily on activities during 2018 and 2019, the illegal fish sales were happening for several years prior.
The investigation found that nearly all carp sold or transported in Wisconsin by the fish dealer were completely intact and therefore illegal in the state. Per state law, the invasive carp species must be either gutted or have the entire gill covering severed to ensure the fish cannot be revived or survive if released into water.
According to the DNR, other violations include operating a wholesale fish dealer vehicle without having it marked to indicate the containment of fish and failing to create or maintain required records. The DNR says records are vital for being able to trace fish back to the commercial fisher who caught the fish or to the business who sold the fish, especially for species that are highly regulated like Asian carp.
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Wisconsin's first-ever invasive carp case linked to illegal fish dealer from Platteville - WMTV – NBC15
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