are people in VA allowed to have piranhas?

I think they are illegal in VA.... I am not 100% sure but I am fairly certain. No they dont sell them in VA. There may be a few who keep and breed them here illegally as there is always people breaking laws like that.

 

I thought so!

 

Yep, Piranha's are illegal, as well are snakeheads.

 

VIRGINIA:

4 VAC 15-30-10 - Possession, importation, sale, etc., of wild animals.

Under the authority of §§ 29.1-103 and 29.1-521 of the Code of Virginia it shall be unlawful to take, possess, import, cause to be imported, export, cause to be exported, buy, sell, offer for sale, or liberate within the Commonwealth any wild animal unless otherwise specifically permitted by law or regulation. Unless otherwise stated, for the purposes of identifying species regulated by the board, when both the scientific and common names are listed, the scientific reference to genus and species will take precedence over common names.

4 VAC 15-30-40 - Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals. A. Permit required. A special permit is required and may be issued by the department, if consistent with the department's fish and wildlife management program, to import, possess, or sell those nonnative (exotic) animals listed below that the board finds and declares to be predatory or undesirable within the meaning and intent of § 29.1-542 of the Code of Virginia, in that their introduction into the Commonwealth will be detrimental to the native fish and wildlife resources of Virginia:

AMPHIBIANS:
Order Family Genus/Species Common Name
Anura Buforidae Bufo marinus Giant or marine toad*
Pipidae Xenopus spp. Tongueless or African clawed frog
Caudata mbystomatidae Ambystoma tigrium Mavortium Barred tiger salamander
A. t. Diaboli Gray tiger
A. t. Melanostictum Blotched tiger Salamander

FISH:
Order Family Genus/Species Common Name
Cypriniformes Catostomidae Ictiobus bubalus Smallmouth buffalo*
I. cyprinellus Bigmouth buffalo*
I. niger Black buffalo*
Characidae Pygopristis spp. Piranhas
Pygocentrus spp.
Rooseveltiella spp.
Serrasalmo spp.
Taddyella spp.
Cyprinidae Aristichyhys Nobilis Bighead carp*
Ctenopharyngodon idella Grass carp or white amur
Cyprinella lutrensis Red shiner
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Silver carp*
Mylopharynogodom piceus Black carp
Scardinius erythrophthalmus Rudd
Tinca tinca Tench*
Gobiesociformes Gobiidae Proterorhinus marmoratus Tubenose goby
Neogobius melanostomus Round goby
Perciformes Cichlidae Tilapia spp. Tilapia
Gymnocephalus cernuum Ruffe*
Siluriformes Clariidae All Species Air-breathing catfish

 

I noticed Tilapia on the list... hmmmm I guess the importers are afraid of tank raised competition! I actually had to Yahoo! images of a living Tilapia to see what it was!!! It is a Cichlid! Well I noticed that in the name! Yummy fish to keep

 

They used to sell them YEARS ago at fin and feather here in VA. They are illegal now. Snakeheads too. I had one of those about two feet long. Gave it to a pet store when it outgrew me. Department of fish and game came in and took them all out of the pet store... You can thank the idiots who were dumping them in the Chesapeake Bay!!!!

 

Yes but they are not the nicest fish to keep.