N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-762: Fish disease management.

(a) The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall, with the assistance of the Wildlife Resources Commission, develop and implement a fish disease management plan to prevent the introduction of fish diseases through aquaculture facilities subject to the provisions and duly adopted rules of this section into the State.

(b) Release of fish. It shall be unlawful to willfully release domestically raised fish into the waters of the State, other than in private ponds as defined by G.S. 113-129, without written permission of the Wildlife Resources Commission, or the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Quality. (1993, c. 18, s. 2; 1997-261, s. 77; 1997-443, s. 11A.119(a); 2015-241, s. 14.30(u).)