Shipping And Customs, Uk And Us

[steelhealr]

Hi...I just did a quick search on our site and only found one post on this topic. My curiosity arose when one of our members expressed interest in a macroalgae I have in my tank that he doesn't have access to. He is in the UK. In a search, I found one post with this link:

http/www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/animl-im/q&a.htm

I'd be curious if anyone has further knowledge on the laws governing imports/exports of aquarium animals/plants between our two countries and if anyone has had success either with survival of what they shipped and/or passing thru customs. Thanks. SH

 

[Tolak]

Just looking real quick I found this off of Jeff Rapp's site;

For export orders shipped via airport (including all Canada destinations): Minimum order is $250.00 of fish and there is an additional clearance fee of $100.00 per shipment for US Fish and Wildlife paperwork clearance and inspections. Depending on the final destination, some international shipments require the services of an export broker. This fee is $100.00 per shipment. A 15.00 airport delivery charge is added to all orders.

It doesn't say anything about the laws, but gives a general idea of the cost involved.

 

[Fella]

I was recently interested in a similar venture, and wanted to find the viability and cost of going to another country on a fish collecting "holiday". I sent this Email

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am interested in importing tropical fish from another country to the UK.
What steps would I need to take, what costs will be implied, and with
whom do I need to contact with an application?

Many thanks

Craig Carleton

And received this reply -

Dear Mr Carleton

Thank you for your email which I received on the 3rd April 2006.

Before I can advise you I will require the scientific names of the tropical fish as the requirements are different for species listed on CITES and species that are not.

I would be very grateful to advise you once you have stated the scientific names.

Thank You for your time

Regards

Charlotte King
Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service
Zone 1/17, Temple Quay House
2 The square
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6EB

I took it no further, but that was the initial step I took. I would be very interested to hear what happens beyond this point. I would reply with specifics, but I simply don't have any.

 

[IovaykInD]

I think if you're considering shipping overseas, it'll only happen if you are part of a fish company that does so. It costs an amazing amount of money to ship overseas, anything for that matter. I guess if you really wanted to, there is a way to ship it, all that matters is the price of course.

Isaac

 

[ncjharris]

Interesting link SH.

I remember watching an episode of 'Airport' once (its a fly-on-the-wall documentry set at Heathrow) where they found an unregistered or unlicenced carton of hamsters or something and one of fish on a flight from somewhere or other and the hamsters had to be exterminated but the fish didn't.
My point here is that the rule may only apply to animals that can spread disease, although saying that I suppose fish could too if introduced to the native habitat.

There is an 'Import of Live Fish Act' although I don't know its contents.

 

[OohFeeshy]

This is definately something I'd have to look into if I was going on holiday to an area with fairly lax fishing laws and tropical species I like. I would imagine that for tropical fish entering Britain the security would be nowhere near as great as for, say, mammals and coldwater fish as the cruddy and freezing British weather means only the hardiest CW fish could survive in the wild. I'd guess the US import laws are far more strict as there are things like oscars living in the waterways.

 

[Synirr]

I asked Linda Olson, the well known US transshipper, what permits she needed to import fish, out of curiosity. She said she has to maintain an import license at $100 a year, plus a non-designated Port Permit license, also $100 a year. Of course, there's probably something much cheaper for those of us not running a business and who are only importing as a one-time thing