Section 830.12  Special Regulations for the Commercial Harvest of Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp and Black Carp

a)         Commercial fishermen shall be allowed to harvest from the wild, and transport to a State-licensed wholesale aquatic life dealer, bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp and black carp, providing all of the following criteria are met:

1)         The fish are dead.  Transportation of dead fish is allowed if the fish meet the definition of "dead fish" in Section 830.5(p).

2)         The fish are not transported under a Restricted Species Transportation Permit (RSTP) (see 17 Ill. Adm. Code 870.60), in an aerated live tank or in any other manner intended to maintain the fish alive unless first obtaining an RSTP. An RSTP can be obtained at the address in Section 830.11(b).

b)         With a Department approved RSTP, commercial fishermen are allowed to:

1)         transport live grass carp to a State-licensed slaughter facility or equivalent outside the State of Illinois, providing this facility is not located in the counties of Will, Cook or Lake and that the fish are processed or stored on ice immediately upon arrival at the facility;

2)         transport live bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp and black carp directly to a crib (net pen) or State-licensed slaughter facility, provided that the fish are transported not more than a 15 mile radius to or from a crib or facility, or as otherwise designated on the RSTP, and that the fish are processed or stored on ice immediately upon arrival at a slaughter facility.

c)         Asian carp may be held live in a crib (net pen) provided that:

1)         they are cribbed in the waters where caught (within a 15 mile radius of the crib) and not transported upstream of a lock and dam or other barrier;

2)         they are removed within 72 hours;

3)         they are killed by one of the methods specified in Section 830.5(p) immediately upon removal from the crib; and

4)         all other regulations pertaining to commercial fishing and commercial fishing devices are followed.

(Source:  Added at 39 Ill. Reg. 11034, effective July 22, 2015)