I need to go back to the beginning of the post for a minute
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My mistake, I thought that if a post was edited after another post had followed, that a message would appear below the initial one stating the message had in fact been edited. Obviously that's not the case. (I hope that came out the way I meant it to
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[b said:
Quote[/b] (JB_OrchidGuy @ Aug. 22 2006,6:14)]Throckmoron. The TRM was just an abreviation for your screenname. :S Some places are more scarry than others. I guess is still a little freaked out about the rat and jackrabbit problem caused by importation. Atleast I think it was jackrabbits. The main thing I think they are worried about though is nemotoads. Microscopic worms that can be dangerous to crops and plants. Also viruses. Altrailia is pretty seperated form the world. Some species exist ONLY there, and bringing in a virus couls be desaterous. And plant viruses can be spread by seed too. I hope that info is accuarate.
The import conditions for bringing seed into Australia are actually far more lax than those of the US. For instance, we do not need a permit or phyto-sanitary certificate for importing the seed of most species of plant. The requirements are only that the seed is clearly labelled with a botanical name and that it is clean and free of contamination, insect infestation and signs of disease.
We do have problems with regular rabbits (how do they differ from jackrabbits??) and nematodes can be a problem more related to live plant importation. It has been deemed that the seed of most plants does not represent a significant risk of introducing viruses etc. and so are treated in such a manner.
Tubers are considered to be live plants and as so are subject to much more stringent import conditions. It would simply be not worth it (cost wise and effort wise) to attempt to import them back into Australia (but then why would you want or need to?). In the case of all live plants, it is much more difficult to bring them into Australia than the US, which only needs a permit, phyto and inspection before clearance. We require the plants to be accompanied by a permit, phyto, have an inspection, fumigation and then 4 months in a sealed glasshouse whilst being monitored and tested for various pests and pathogens throughout the 4 month period.
BTW- The country I live in is spelt Australia. Not meaning to be condescending but I cringe when I see it spelt "Alstrailia" or "Altrailia", I guess much the same way if I were to spell the US, the United States of Umerrika.