It has been recently brought to my attention that most (if not all) species of Dwarf Shrimp are illegal in the state of Maine. But why and should they be?

Why?

The State of Maine has a very strict rule that does not allow any non-native species to be imported until it has been proven to be non-harmful to the native species.

I whole heartily agree with this stance, but what I don’t agree with is there is no real process to get non-natives approved. There is a shortage of staff and the staff that works for the Fish and Wildlife division are already overworked. So Dwarf Shrimp are not to be likely to be approved any time soon.

Should they Be?

Short answer is NO! Most Dwarf Shrimp that are kept in the aquarium hobby will not survive the cold experienced most months in Maine. They are also not suited for the wild because of their bright colors would allow predators to find them rather quickly.

BUT, they do need to be proven to be safe!

So, is Maine over restrictive, in my opinion they are not! But what they are is inflexible due to lack of resources!