Aquatic Farming

 

Subsistence Farmers

As an aquatic plant and animal farmer, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by implementing the following guidelines that relate to your farming activities. Learn more about the link between aquatic farming and aquatic invasive species and be sure to share these tips with other farmers.

General

  • Comply with all federal, state and local regulations (hyperlink to state and federal regulations) related to the import, quarantine, holding and propagation of aquatic plants and animals.
  • Determine whether existing stocks of organisms are invasive in the areas they’re raised or held and eliminate any invasive species.

Containing

  • Build ponds and situate tanks to ensure that they and their contents—including any outflows and overflows—stay separate from natural or public water bodies.
  • Use cages and tanks designed for propagation, and inspect and repair them regularly to prevent an animal’s escape.

Buying and Receiving

  • Avoid buying invasive organisms—not all invasive species are regulated. Visit the Alternatives, ND STAIR, Predicting Invaders, and Meet the Invaders pages or contact your local natural resource managers for more details.
  • Ensure that the organisms you obtain are labeled with the correct scientific name that ideally includes the species.
  • Purchase only plants and animals that show no sign of disease or parasitic infestation.  

Planting and Stocking Ponds, Cages or Tanks

  • Rinse plants in a bucket before planting to remove excess material, including dirt, vegetation, animals and eggs.
  • Remove all dirt, vegetation or other excess material from animals before adding them to your pond, cage or tank.
  • Quarantine new animals in a separate, filtered container for 2-4 weeks before adding them to your pond, cage or tank.

Growing

  • Use spring, well or filtered water in ponds and tanks—avoid using untreated surface water, which may contain unreported invaders.
  • Visually and manually inspect ponds, cages and tanks for the presence of invasive species and decontaminate if AIM are found. Decontamination information can be found here (hyperlink to Sea Grant HACCP plan booklet) and here (hyperlink to our AC monitoring BMPs).

Harvesting

  • Remove plants, animals and mud from all equipment.
  • Drain all water from your boat and gear.
  • Decontaminate (hyperlink to decontamination document) equipment before using it elsewhere.

Disposing

  • Dump rinse water on dry land or add ¼ teaspoon bleach for each gallon of water before pouring it down the drain.
  • Put all debris, packing material, and unwanted plants and plant parts in a sealed plastic bag, freeze if possible, and place in the trash. Freezing ensures the plants are dead before they’re carried to landfills or other locations where living plants could still cause harm.
  • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.
  • Contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance if euthanasia is required.

 

Consumers

As a purchaser of edible aquatic plants and live seafood, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by implementing the following guidelines that relate to your activities. Learn more about the link between aquatic farming and aquatic invasive species and be sure to share these tips with other consumers.

  • Dispose of debris, packing material and unwanted aquatic plants and plant parts in a sealed plastic bag, freeze if possible, and place in the trash. Freezing ensures the plants are dead before they’re carried to landfills or other locations where living plants could still cause harm.
  • Sterilize waste water (¼ teaspoon bleach for each gallon of water) and pour down the toilet or sink—never down a storm drain.
  • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.

 

Retailers

As a retailer of aquatic plants and animals, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by integrating the following relevant guidelines into your business activities. Learn more about the link between aquatic farming and AIM and be sure to share these tips with your customers and other retailers.

General

    • Comply with all federal, state and local regulations related to the import, quarantine, propagation, sale and distribution of aquatic plants and animals, including those governing areas where you sell and ship.
    • Determine whether existing stocks of organisms are invasive in the areas they’re held and eliminate any invasive species.
    • Consider establishing a program that allows customers to give back plants and animals they no longer wish to maintain.

Containing

    • Comply with federal, state and local regulations for construction of all display and holding ponds.
    • Build ponds and situate tanks to ensure that they and their contents—including any outflows and overflows—stay separate from natural or public water bodies. 

Buying and Receiving

    • Evaluate the potential invasiveness of every species before acquiring it for sale. 
    • Purchase only those organisms labeled with scientific names.
    • Ensure that the organisms you obtain are correctly identified—ideally to species.
    • Purchase only animals and plants that show no sign of disease or parasitic infestation.

Planting and Stocking Ponds

    • Rinse plants in a bucket before planting to remove excess material, including dirt, vegetation, animals and eggs.
    • Remove all dirt, vegetation or other excess material from animals before adding them to your display or holding pond.
    • Quarantine new animals in a separate, filtered container for 2-4 weeks before adding them to a pond.

Disposing

    • Dump rinse water on dry land or add ¼ teaspoon bleach for each gallon of water before pouring it down the drain.
    • Put all debris, packing material and unwanted plants in a sealed plastic bag, freeze if possible, and place in the trash. Freezing ensures the plants are dead before they’re carried to landfills or other locations where living plants could still cause harm.
    • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.
    • Contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance if euthanasia is required. 

Selling

    • Promote regionally native or non-invasive plants and animals.
    • Avoid selling or shipping organisms to areas in which they are invasive—not all invasive species are regulated. Visit the Alternatives, ND STAIR, Predicting Invaders, and Meet the Invaders pages or contact your local natural resource managers for more details.
    • Label all plants and animals with accurate scientific and common names.
    • Avoid selling organisms showing signs of disease or parasitic infestation.
    • Ensure that customer purchases, including containers and packaging materials, are free of dirt, vegetation, animals, eggs and other excess material.

Educating Customers

  • Share your knowledge of AIM and the steps retailers and wholesalers can take to prevent AIM introduction and spread.


 


Wholesalers

As a farmer and seller of aquatic plants and animals, you can help protect our natural areas from invaders by integrating the following relevant guidelines into your business activities. Learn more about the link between aquatic farming and AIM and be sure to share these tips with your customers and other wholesalers. 

General

    • Comply with all federal, state and local regulations related to the import, quarantine, propagation, sale and distribution of aquatic plants and animals, including those governing areas where you sell and ship.
    • Determine whether existing stocks of organisms are invasive in the areas they’re raised or held and eliminate any invasive species.
    • Consider developing a HACCP plan to comprehensively minimize the risk of spreading AIM through your business activities.

Containing

    • Comply with federal, state and local regulations for construction of all propagation and holding ponds.
    • Build ponds and situate tanks to ensure that they and their contents—including any outflows and overflows—stay separate from natural or public water bodies.
    • Use cages designed for propagation, and inspect and repair them regularly to prevent an animal’s escape.

Buying and Receiving

    • Evaluate the potential invasiveness of every species before acquiring it for sale. 
    • Purchase only those organisms labeled with scientific names.
    • Ensure that the organisms you obtain are correctly identified—ideally to species.
    • Purchase only animals and plants that show no sign of disease or parasitic infestation.  

Planting and Stocking Ponds, Cages or Tanks

    • Rinse plants in a bucket before planting to remove excess material, including dirt, vegetation, animals and eggs.
    • Remove all dirt, vegetation or other excess material from animals before adding them to your pond, cage or tank. 
    • Quarantine new animals in a separate, filtered container for 2-4 weeks before adding them to your pond, cage or tank.

Growing

    • Use spring, well or filtered water in ponds and tanks—avoid using untreated surface water, which may contain unreported invaders.
    • Visually and manually inspect ponds, cages and tanks for the presence of invasive species and decontaminate if AIM are found. Decontamination information can be found here and here.

Disposing

    • Dump rinse water on dry land or add ¼ teaspoon bleach for each gallon of water before pouring it down the drain.
    • Put all debris, packing material and unwanted plants in a sealed plastic bag, freeze if possible, and place in the trash. Freezing ensures the plants are dead before they’re carried to landfills or other locations where living plants could still cause harm.
    • Never release unwanted plants or animals into natural or public water bodies.
    • Contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance if euthanasia is required.

Harvesting and Hauling

Before traveling to a harvesting location

    • Check gear and determine if it was previously cleaned. If not, follow the remove, drain, dispose and decontaminate steps below.
    • Plan harvesting trips so that those areas of a waterbody that are least likely to be infested are harvested before the more likely infested areas.

 After harvesting on a waterbody is complete

    • Remove plants, animals and mud from all equipment.
    • Drain all water from your boat and gear.
    • Dispose of unwanted plants and animals in the trash.
    • Decontaminate equipment before using it elsewhere.
    • Inspect and disinfect holding and transport tanks following each use.
    • Pump spring, well or filtered water into hauling tanks when transporting fish or other live organism to other waters or facilities—avoid using lake or river water during transport.
    • Comply with all regulations related to the disposal of water in hauling tanks avoiding direct release into surface waters whenever possible.

Selling

    • Promote regionally native or non-invasive plants and animals.
    • Avoid selling or shipping organisms to areas in which they are invasive—not all invasive species are regulated. Visit the Alternatives, ND STAIR, Predicting Invaders, and Meet the Invaders pages or contact your local natural resource managers for more details.
    • Label all plants and animals with accurate scientific and common names.
    • Avoid selling organisms showing signs of disease or parasitic infestation.
    • Ensure that customer purchases, including containers and packaging materials, are free of dirt, vegetation, animals, eggs and other excess material.

Educating Customers

    • Share your knowledge of AIM and the steps retailers can take to prevent AIM introduction and spread.