Koi confiscation part of Maine’s effort to avoid potentially harmful species

[Meyer Jordan]

To carry the absurd to an almost humorous level, there is an Oriental restaurant on Main St. in Freeport Maine which had a large aquarium in the dining room with two or three Koi. The state took issue with even these fish! Public opinion and common sense prevailed and the restaurant was permitted to keep their center-piece.

Didn't this restaurant eventually lose these fish. I remember reading several years ago a very similar story about a restaurant in Maine that had their fish confiscated.

Just checked on that. This incident happened in 2007. The restaurant owner and state agreed to a settlement that the fish would be allowed to stay for a period of 5 years with conditions. This settlement would have expired in 2012. I have been unable to find an update as to whether or not the fish are still at the restaurant.

 

[HARO]

Sushi!
John

 

[Meyer Jordan]

OK, final update. Here is a link that further clarifies both cases.
http://www.centralmaine.com/2013/05/08/harpswell-woman-fights-to-keep-pet-koi/

 

[barryian]

Hi Barryian, you are absolutely correct about the archaic law in Maine. I also totally agree with MitchM's assessment that unless the heron, ducks, and coons can be controlled, it's only a stop-gap law. My only issue was with the off-handed remarks that seem to be an indictment of every pond owner who had inadvertently introduced some "outlaw" basically innocuous fish in a relatively isolated environment.
To carry the absurd to an almost humorous level, there is an Oriental restaurant on Main St. in Freeport Maine which had a large aquarium in the dining room with two or three Koi. The state took issue with even these fish! Public opinion and common sense prevailed and the restaurant was permitted to keep their center-piece.
To paraphrase an old adage; Some old laws and diapers should be changed for the same reasons.

Precisely and I love the old adage! Many antiquated relics re: laws need some updating but we won't get into that up here ...lol ... We don't want to polarize the Pond Forum ...lol ...

 

[Meyer Jordan]

To paraphrase an old adage; Some old laws and diapers should be changed for the same reasons.

I agree. That is what legislatures are supposed to do. An old un-enforced law was just removed from the books by the Florida legislature. It is no longer against the law to 'Shack up" in Florida.

 

[peter hillman]

There's a acre or two sized pond here that has some pretty big goldfish in it, it's the only body of water I've ever seen that did have goldfish in it. Fishing there one day, cuaght several trout but the goldies just wouldn't bite anything, I really tried for awhile to get one. Made me wonder how they got so large being such picky eaters.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

There's a acre or two sized pond here that has some pretty big goldfish in it, it's the only body of water I've ever seen that did have goldfish in it. Fishing there one day, cuaght several trout but the goldies just wouldn't bite anything, I really tried for awhile to get one. Made me wonder how they got so large being such picky eaters.

There is plenty in a lake for Goldfish to eat. Maybe they prefer 'home cooking' to 'take-out'.

 

[Timothy]

................................ 'take-out'.

..........I got that.

 

[Smaug]

They are grazes same as carp,carp can be very difficult to catch,that's why we always shot them with a bow and arrow!

 

[Timothy]

They are grazes same as carp,carp can be very difficult to catch,that's why we always shot them with a bow and arrow!

Kinda hard on the liner if you miss though..........
On Lake Erie we used dough balls pretty effectively. It was always a 50/50 proposition whether you were going to hook a catfish or carp.

 

[Smaug]

Timothy ,I would use a gig in a lined pond!

 

[pecan]

Utah lake, the largest fresh water lake in Utah is filled to the brim with carp, comets and Koi. They have completely destroyed the natural echo system. destroying the vegetation that filtered the water and provided a home for native fry. The lake is a cesspool and the funny thing is to was caused by the federal government. Because they always know whats best right?

During the depression they "Seeded" bodies of water throughout the US with carp to provide a source of food for locals down on their luck. It back fired and destroyed the habitat in many water ways throughout the US.

There has been a clean up effort of Utah lake since 2010 I beleive with a target date of 2017 to be complete. The clean up effort involves fisherman with nets puling thousands of carp out of the lake daily. I have watched in person and you actually see some nice koi in the mix.

Here is a video about the efforts.

 

[Smaug]

Damn fine source of fertilizer there Pecan. They shoukd pay a fertilizer company to park a couple trawlers on the laze for a few years,that might do it.

 

[Tula]

Interesting video @pecan , thanks for posting. Silly question, but are carp unfit for human consumption?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thanks for the video, Pecan. It makes one wonder why Maine is the only state to ban Koi.