Grass Carp Inspection and Certification Program
Southeast Region

 

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Standards for Triploid Grass Carp Producers

  • The USFWS only provides the Inspection and Certification service to Producers that want to cooperate, and participation is completely voluntary.
  • The Grass Carp Producer, prior to the Inspection date, will examine the checklist of requirements for Triploid Grass Carp Producers, and ensure that the conditions of the protocol will be met (i.e., available diploid controls, a working Coulter Counter, etc.).
  • All grass carp, in an identified lot, offered for sale, will have been individually tested by Coulter Counter techniques before a USFWS Triploid Grass Carp Inspection will be performed. The USFWS Inspection consists of a retesting by the Producer, in the presence of the Inspector, of 120 individuals randomly selected by the Inspector from the identified lot of alleged 100 percent triploid grass carp.
  • Producers must have a fully operational particle sizer (such as the Coulter Counter) with channelizer, and trained personnel available to gather and process fish for the Inspection.
  • The Grass Carp Producer will ensure that the diploid grass carp control fish come from the same site, and be the same relative age/size as the group of fish that are to be certified for triploidy. As an option, 2.8 micron polystyrene beads may be used as a standard to calibrate when diploids are unavailable at the time of the inspection.
  • The Grass Carp Producer will maintain the isolated group(s) of allegedly 100 percent triploid grass carp in containment units at least 100-ft. away from production ponds (thus reducing the chance of inadvertent mixing of triploids and diploids).
  • The containment units will be provisioned with water that is clear enough to allow the isolated fish population to be viewed by the USFWS Inspector.
  • If a diploid is found in the course of testing the 120 fish sample, the lot fails Certification. All fish in that lot of fish must be retested, individually, by the Producer, before another inspection of that lot of fish is rescheduled for Certification Inspection.
  • Producers who receive a Certification from a USFWS Inspector must sell or ship the certified fish maintained in the defined holding area(s), within six calendar days. If fish are not sold or shipped within the six calendar day period of the certificate, the fish must be re-certified in order to retain USFWS certification for sale or shipment.
  • Once Inspected and Certified, no additional fish can be added to an identified lot of triploid grass carp.
  • Officials, in States where fish are scheduled for delivery, will be notified by phone within 24 hours. Information to be communicated will be the number of fish involved in a shipment, the source of the fish, the destination, estimated date/time of arrival, and the name of the dealer or hauler of the fish. Written documentation will then be sent by mail.
  • No diagnostic services will be required of the USFWS Inspector. Nevertheless, a fully trained Inspector could assist the Producer in the finding and identification of Asian tapeworms.
  • If visual examination by the Inspector identifies some phenotypic anomaly, further scrutiny and investigation would not be the responsibility of the Inspector under the Grass Carp Program. If such work is desired by the Grass Carp Producer, it should be directed to a fish veterinarian, a certified fish health specialist, or a fish pathologist.
  • Grass Carp Producers will retain records of their Certification transactions and provide copies of the Certification to truck drivers, and others, delivering the fish to the place of destination.
  • The USFWS provides triploidy Certification; it is the obligation of the Producer to comply with laws, regulations, and guidelines of the States.
  • Fees for service will be handled by check, issued to the Inspector at the time of the Inspection, and made payable to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the number of fish Certified to be shipped.
  • For additional information about the USFWS Triploid Grass Carp Inspection and Certification Program, Producers should direct questions to their closest regional representative:
    • Vince Mudrak
      Southeast Region
      Warm Springs, GA 31830
      (706) 655-3382

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    • Rob Simmonds
      Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region
      Carterville, IL 62959
      618) 997-6869

 

 

 

 

 
Last updated: September 3, 2009