STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Permits stocking of triploid grass carp in waterbodies under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the stocking of carp and supplementing Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding R.S.23:5-30, R.S.23:5-33, any other provision of law, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, upon application therefor, the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife shall issue a permit for a person to stock a waterbody with triploid grass carp, provided:
a. the waterbody is less than 25 surface acres in size;
b. inlet or outlet structures in the waterbody are situated and constructed in a way that prevents the escape of fish from the waterbody into nearby streams and are permanently affixed;
c. no more than 100 triploid grass carp are stocked into any single waterbody;
d. the fish to be introduced are from a fish culture facility approved by the Division of Fish and Wildlife; and
e. the waterbody does not provide habitat for threatened or endangered species as determined by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection to issue triploid grass carp stocking permits for bodies of water less than 25 surface acres in size under certain circumstances.
Grass carp are an aquatic plant-eating species of carp native to eastern Asia, and the “triploid” is a genetically altered form thereof which is unable to successfully spawn. Stocking triploid grass carp in certain bodies of water can substantially aid in managing vegetative growth and improve the overall health of the waterbody. This bill would require the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife to issue permits for triploid grass carp stocking, provided: (1) the waterbody is under 25 surface acres; (2) inlet or outlet structures in the waterbody are situated and constructed in a way that prevents the escape of fish from the waterbody into nearby streams and are permanently affixed; (3) no more than 100 triploid grass carp are stocked into any single waterbody; (4) the fish to be introduced are from a fish culture facility approved by the division; and (5) the waterbody does not provide habitat for threatened or endangered species as determined by the division.