1. (1) Any person, firm, or corporation, before engaging in the business of fish farming, must purchase a Fish Dealer’s License. A separate license is required for each fish farm.

2. (2) The following species are approved for use in fish farming operations:

   1. (a) Common Name Scientific Name Skipjack Herring Alosa chrysochloris Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense Goldfish Carassius auratus Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Sunfish Lepomis spp. and their hybrids Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Brown Trout Salmo trutta Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus Channel x Blue Catfish Ictalurus punctatus x Ictalurus furcatus Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans Florida Bass Micropterus salmoides Largemouth x Florida Bass Micropterus nigricans x M. salmoides Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu Hybrid Striped Bass Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus White Crappie Pomoxis annularis Black x White Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus x P. annularis Blue Tilapia Oreochromis aureus Wami Tilapia Oreochromis urolepis Nile Tilapia Oreochromis nilotica Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambica Common Carp and Koi Cyprinus carpio CATCH-OUT OPERATIONS, AND BAIT DEALERS
   2. (b) Triploid Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) certified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
   3. (c) Sunfish (Bream) four inches (4”) in length or smaller may be sold for bait.
   4. (d) Species of fish and aquatic life other than those listed may be used in fish farming with written approval of the Executive Director of the TWRA.
3. (3) Fish farming facilities must be constructed to prevent the movement of fish into or out of the facility.
4. (4) Approved species may be sold live for stocking private ponds and lakes.

5. (5) All fish and other aquatic life sold, donated, delivered, or otherwise disposed of, must be accompanied by an invoice that includes:

   1. (a) The signature of the licensee or his/her agent;
   2. (b) The name, license number, and location of the fish farm;
   3. (c) The date of sale or delivery;
   4. (d) The species and number of fish delivered; and
   5. (e) The name and address of the person receiving the fish or other aquatic life.
6. (6) All invoices issued by a fish farming operation must be consecutively numbered.
7. (7) The licensee shall retain a copy of the invoice for a period of one year after issuance, and shall make the copy available for inspection by any representative of the TWRA.
8. (8) Any person transporting or possessing fish obtained from a fish farm must have a copy of the invoice on their person.
9. (9) Live catfish 34 inches or longer harvested from the wild may not be imported for use in the facility.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 70-1-206 and 70-2-221. Administrative History: Original rule filed March 30, 1994; effective June 13, 1994. Amendment filed January 5, 2001; effective March 22, 2001. Rule was previously numbered 1660-01-26-.02 but was renumbered 1660-01-26-.03 with the introduction of a new rule 1660-01-26-.02. Amendments filed November 18, 2019; effective February 16, 2020. Amendments filed July 2, 2025; effective September 30, 2025.