PlanetCatfish.com

has anyone any idea were you can get baby wels catfish ? in the uk are ireland .

I thought they weren't legal to keep in the UK?

--
Mats

I've confirmed with the relevant authority last year that to sell or own a wels you need a licence

The following is a list of species which require a licence to keep in England. This list is for information only and if you are in any doubt whatsoever, it is best to contact DEFRA and enquire. Further information can be obtained by visiting the following link:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/fish/freshwater ... tm#SPECIES

SPECIES ALREADY ON THE LIST FOR ENGLAND

Abramis ballerus

Acipenser sp., Huso sp.
Scaphirhynchus sp.
Pseudoscaphirhynchus sp.
and hybrids

Alburnoides bipunctatus

Ambloplites rupestris

Ameiurus sp.


Aspius aspius

Chalcaburnus chalcoides

Chrondrostoma nasus

Chrondrostoma toxostoma

Ctenopharyngodon idella

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Ictalurus sp.


Leuciscus souffia

Lota lota

Micropterus salmoides

Mylopharyngodon piceus

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Oncorhynchus sp.

Polyodon spathula
and Psephurus gladius

Pseudorasbora parva

Rhodeus sericeus

Salmo salar

Silurus sp.


Stizostedion sp.

Vimba vimba



Blue Bream

}
} Sterlets and
} Sturgeons
}

Schneider

Rock Bass

Coldwater Ameiurid catfishes, including the Bullhead, Ameirus nebulosus

Asp

Danubian Bleak

Nase

Toxostome or French Nase

Grass Carp

Silver Carp

Coldwater Ictalurid catfishes, including the Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

Blageon

Burbot

Large-mouthed Bass

Black or Snail-eating Carp

Rainbow Trout or Steelhead

Pacific Trout

Paddlefishes


Clicker Barb or Topmouth Gudgeon

Bitterling

Non-anadromous, landlocked Salmon

Coldwater Silurid catfishes including the Wels, Silurus glanis

Zander

Vimba

AMENDED LIST FOR ENGLAND

Barbus sp.


Catostomus commersoni

Channa argus

Coregonus sp.


Cycleptus elongatus

Cyprinella (Notropsis) lutrensis

Esox sp.

Hucho sp.

Lepomis sp.


Leucaspius delineatus

Misgurnus fossilis

Morone sp.

Myxocyprinus asiaticus

Perca sp.


Phoxinus (Chrosomus) eos

Phoxinus (C.) erythrogaster

Pimephales promelas

Rhinichthys atratulus

Salmo marmoratus

Salvelinus sp.



Umbra krameri

Umbra pygmaea

Zacco platypus

Barbel species, excluding the native Barbus barbus

Common White Sucker

Northern Snakehead

Whitefishes, excluding the native species C. lavaretus and C. albula

Blue Sucker

Red Shiner or Rainbow Dace

Pikes, excluding the native E. lucius

Danubian Salmon or Taimen

Pumpkinseeds, Sunfish, Sunbass, Crappies, Bluegills and other Lepomis species.

Motherless Minnow

Weather Loach

Striped bass, White Bass and Morone hybrids

Chinese Sailfin Sucker

Perch species excluding the native P. fluviatilis

Northern Red-belly Dace

Southern Red-belly Dace

Rosy Red Minnow or Fathead Minnow

Blacknose Dace

Marbled Trout

Charr species, including the American Brook Trout, but excluding the native Salvelinus alpinus

European Mudminnow

Eastern Mudminnow

Pale Chub

thanks all i was just wondering if they sold them are wether they were legal,what other species are legal to keep in the uk/ireland ? cheers dee

I believe, if we are talking about catfish that can be kept in outdoor ponds, the ones that are legal are NONE (or at least, the intention of the law is that)! The reason for this is that the species that can survive in a pond can also survive in nature, and we don't really want (any more) catfish in nature in England/Ireland. [There are Silurus glanis, wels catfish, in some rivers and lakes in mainland Britain - not sure if they are also in any part of Ireland - but they are still illegal to keep, even if you were to catch one in a river locally].

--
Mats

I see sturgeon/sterlet are listed - does that mean any garden centre selling these for ponds shouldn't be?
I've seen these for sale on many occasions, usually the diamond back ones, but have never thought they were suitable for your average or even larger than average garden pond.
Martin

A lot of LFS do have licences to sell - i am unsure if this also covers prospective buyers (as has been hinted at in a conversation i had a while back). I haven't the latest Cefas literature that i got last month with me to check the position on this. I have seen wels for sale in the UK - there has been some on Auarist classified from time to time.

Here, fish stores and farms do sell regulated species but there is traceable paperwork - they carry the fish but cannot sell it to you until and unless you get a license to buy, a license from the state. Then, the state has the right to do inspections at random to verify that you are complying - this is a part of buying a license. Also, they will not give you a license to own a fish for pleasure/aesthetics but only for need, e.g., grass carp/white amur is allowed to be kept for weed control only when other ways have been tried and found ineffective. Needless to say, the body of water where the carp will reside must have no connections to any other natural/unnatural bodies of water and the fish cannot slither its way across dry land either, like eels, snakeheads, walking catfish, etc. do. Also, the birds should have no way of carrying the fish or fish larvae to other bodies of water. The chances of getting a license improve if the fish is sterile, like my triploid grass carp.

MatsP wrote:I believe, if we are talking about catfish that can be kept in outdoor ponds, the ones that are legal are NONE (or at least, the intention of the law is that)! The reason for this is that the species that can survive in a pond can also survive in nature, and we don't really want (any more) catfish in nature in England/Ireland. [There are Silurus glanis, wels catfish, in some rivers and lakes in mainland Britain - not sure if they are also in any part of Ireland - but they are still illegal to keep, even if you were to catch one in a river locally].

--
Mats

That's actually not true Mats. I have emails have and spoken to CEFAS and they have confirmed that for all North American Coldwater cats a general licence has been issued which basically means anyone can own them as the law stands at the moment. You need a licence to import them, not to own them as an individual. The only catfish that needs an individual licence for its owner is Silurus glanis = wels.

Ok, fair enough. Do you know (of) anyone with an import license? Not that I have any pond plans ATM, just curious.

--
Mats

MatsP wrote:Ok, fair enough. Do you know (of) anyone with an import license? Not that I have any pond plans ATM, just curious.

--
Mats

No mate, my friend and I got ours through someone who'd had them for some years.

Worth noting since we're talking about this that these are the laws for England & Wales. In Scotland the law is similar, but, from example with Ictalurids, only the larger genera (in terms of length) are regulated.

Jools