Privately collecting specimens from another country and bringing them into the US

[Bongo Shrimp]

I am wondering where I need to go [website or what ever else you got] to get info about acquiring a private license/permit to collect specimens from outside the US and US territories and legally bring them back into the USA through customs.

Since my family and I go to the caribbean on vacation, I want to be able to harvest some specimens for my tank.

I know that it is possible to privately harvest specimens from Florida and Hawaii and bring them back to MI but what about from outside the US?

(I know that I would also need a permit from the other country but that's another issue)

[steve9]

get some small shampoo bottles and bring back some fragsd....

[Bongo Shrimp]

LEGALLY
LEGALLY
LEGALLY
LEGALLY
LEGALLY

[bsagecko]

They need to be less than 3 oz of liquid if you are going to fly.....

If you are using a boat they just keep it quiet....as long as you are not bringing in large specimens....just frags/inverts...you will be fine....

If you must go through all the legal crap...it wont really be worth it if you are coming from a country outside of US domain......

It would be better to just get it from the keys...hawaii, Puerto Rico....I think you have to pay taxes/money for customs on top of the permits in both countries

[noahm]

The CITES hassle will probably just not make it worth it for a small amount of stuff. Not a fan of law-breaking, but the one-off conscientious collector is going to do way less damage than a handful of indonesian boys with chisels and prybars. Just keep it small and put it in your checked baggage.... and be respectful and knowledgeable about what should be left alone.

[Ohiomom]

Curious what would happen if one got caught. Do they just take it away or is it jail time? Not making a joke genuinely curious..

[ackee]

No coral, dead or alive, even tiny pieces, including jewelry made from coral, may be legally imported by private individuals into the US. The same holds true for seaturtles or their parts, including that tortiseshell comb or earrings.

Fishes are a different story. Certain species, like seahorses, are not allowed. An import permit is required if you are bringing in fish for commercial purposes. However, private citizens are allowed to bring in a "small number" of fish for their own home aquarium, provided the fish is not on a Cites list (like seahorses) or on a list of pest species, most all of which are fresh water. The main element in this private use regulation is that you must declare them, fill out a Fish and Wildlife form (call them first), and be in compliance with all rules and regulations of the place you obtained the fish, and be able to prove that.

Some airports are designated points of entry and have Fish and Wildlife inspectors present. About the best place I know of to bring in fish is JFK. By far the worst is Miami.

[ackee]

Ohiomom, the usual penalty is a big fine. For commercial smugglers of birds and reptiles, VERY big fines, like six figures, and frequently jail time. Confiscation is a given, even if the animal dies as a result. Maintaining the law is paramount.

[GreshamH]

There is no coral exporting from the Caribbean. You have no legal way of getting them into the US, or harvesting them legally in any Caribbean country.