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What everyone think of my idea?

Spoke to quarantine today and they said it is on the restricted list but gave me some other numbers to call. So am still chasing tails at the moment.

Thanks Miazma, I rang customs today (and finally got through at 5.15pm tonight) only to be told i have to call quarantine inspection's which shut at 5pm. So i'm going to call them tomorrow so i'll give Aquarium imports a ring while i'm there. So a great big huge thank you for all your help.

Just had another thought, in Milpera (sydney) there is a direct to the public importer/exporter of marine and tropical fish...if you gave them a call I am sure they would know.

Here are their details

Aquarium Imports Pty Ltd
19 Bullecourt Ave Milperra NSW 2214

Fisrtly silverlight, I was in agreeance with what you said, I meant that i could apply for an import license for our computer business and get them that way however i would just find it easier to go through an import broker. I'm sorry for any misconception my post may have caused i didn't mean to imply that you weren't aware of that fact. Once again i do appologise.
Ferox thanks for your post i had just heard that they were illegal, But i'm going to DNRE tommorow so hopefully i should find out some more then.

Just to be clear, I'm aware that anyone can apply for an import license. What I was describing is the categories of people who are most likely to actually get one.

I have heard that Zebra plecs are illegal to sell, but not ilegal to own. There's a lot of fish down here that are actually ilegal to import, like Flowerhorn(which might have just been hybridised here, true)

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

First of all thank you to every one for their advice. I'll go through your replies and try to answer what i've found out.
Silverlight I think any one can apply for an import license however I was going to import computer components for our family IT business and found that if i was to do that then it would be easier to go through an import broker. So if i could get a Zebra that is how i would go about it.
Perky I really liked your idea about a petition, however knowing our government they would take no notice, that being said though i still may give that some serious consideration.
Miazma Thank you soooo much for checking this out for me, I am going to try to get in touch with customs again on monday as well as go the Department of natural resources and environment and see if they can help me in any way about possibly getting an exemption to only import males (if they can be sexed of course. So thanks i hadn't even thought of that.
superlion from what i understand overseas quite alot of people actually catch these fish. I was at a website last night of a reputable Supplier of Tropical fish which specialised in rare pleco's, sting rays etc. They had 400 Zebra's on the 9th August but by the 11th august they only had 36 left. I sent them an email and they advised that they would export to australia on the condition that i could meet the plane at the airport when it arrived.
Shinigami Thanks for your advice but unfortunately whilst i do have the money i am still chasing whether i can get them. I'm actually hoping to try to get 6 if i can but it's a uphill battle just trying to get 1 at the moment. They are $80US with a flat shipping fee to australia of $72 and according to the site it's flat fee of $72 regardless of wether i get 1 fish or 300. So thanks for the advice.

Zebra Plecs are NOT CITES protected, although they're rapid decline is getting Brazil to think of enforcing quotas on them. However, Zebra Plec season just started and they're being sold left and right (online), so I'd get them while they're cheap ($70 each isn't that far from what they used to be, so you have the money, jump on them!).

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I dunno. Many zebras are wild caught on a regular basis. There must be some laws protecting them as to make sure they aren't overfished, but they definitely can be and are exported from the rio.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-08-13 14:24][/span]

Last I checked, zebra plecs could not be exported from their native waters. I believe they are a CITES protected species. If there aren't some breeding in Aus. already, then you're not likely to get any, at least not until there are enough zebra plecs in their native waters to have the CITES protection lifted.

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Well for starters i'm from Australia where most of you know we can't by the L-46 Zebra Pleco here. Well i've been making some enquiries and have found a business in america that will gladly ship them to me if i know what is involved with customs. Well unfortunately i don't and have left a few messages with them to call me back to no avail. So hence these questions:

Does any one know why we can't have them in australia?

Does any one know if there is a way to get them shipped to australia if they can be?

Would they have to sit for days at customs? and if so would they survive the stress?

Like i said this question has probably been asked heaps of times but i would really love to have some of these fish and thought there was no harm in asking if any one knows anything that might help me get some.

I was interested so I did some googling for you...

Here what i've got so far

"Other than under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Wildlife Protection) Act 2001, no other relevant Commonwealth, State or Territory legislative controls on the importation or keeping of this species have been noted."

"10.10 Opportunities to Condition Importation
There are no conditions or restrictions that could be practically applied to the import of this species to reduce any potential for negative environmental impacts. Importation of males, or sterilised fish would pose negligible risk."

When you take a look at all the feral animals in not just aus, but the entire world, it's no wonder that australia, especially with it's warm, even tropical climate, has erected such heavy laws upon the animal keeping industry. After all, the potential ecological disaster outweighs the promises of responsiblity by experienced aquarists, etc.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-08-12 12:54][/span]

Why doesn`t everyone on this site that is Australian make a petition to make certain fish available to import?

Good idea?

I think so

You could also ask other sites to add there names to the list and then all the responsible fish keepers in Australia that use online fish forums would have signed this petition and the government would see how enfusiastic you are and maybe allow some more fish to be imported.

I came up with that idea and I only 13yrs old, I quite chuffed with myself

http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=44154
the thread is on loaches, but can be applied with pl*cos

cfd

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Billy was a scientist, Billy is no more. For what he thought was H20, was H2SO4

They are illegal as like most plecs in astrala

I heard from an Aussie on these boards that zebras are illegal. I may be wrong though.

Does any one know if there is a way to get them shipped to australia if they can be?

Let's assume for the moment that Australia really does specifically restrict the import of Zebra Plecos.

In that case, probably not. Unless you can produce an import license the shipper won't accept the shipment, and once the seller figures that out they'll refuse to sell it to you. And based on the situation with local shops I'd expect that the only people that get import licenses are scientific types, public-exhibit aquariums, and people who are very well connected in customs (assuming any such exist).

So, uh, you're probably out of luck. Sorry.


[span class="edited"][Edited by Silverlight 2004-08-11 17:40][/span]

kinda like snakeheads in the usa:%)