Firstly, I work for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and 2 of my responsibilities are inspecting live plant material and seeds when they enter the country through the International Mail system.
Aaron, the information you recieved from the woman you spoke to is completely incorrect! The requirements for seed to enter the country are-
1. that the seed must be labelled with a botanical name.
2. that the seed is free from any contamination (ie- seed capsules, flower parts, other seeds, etc) or insect infestation.
You do not need to be a commercial entity and the seeds do not need to be commercially packaged.
You can receive seed from anybody anywhere in the world as long as they meet the above requirements.
Everyday (actually I'm inspecting a packet of seeds at the moment!) I inspect and release numerous packages containing seed that come from everyday collectors and none are commercially packaged. I often have the chance to inspect seeds addressed to myself!
The only exceptions to this in the world of CPs is all Genlisea and Ibicella species as well as a few aquatic Utricularia species which are prohibited.
I'm not sure who you spoke to, but they obviously have no idea what they are talking about.
Gus,
The restrictions on live plant material or hardened plants are in place for a very good reason. We take no risks in relation to the introduction of live plants. As you are probably aware, Australia is currently free from many of the pests and diseases that are present overseas and we aim to ensure that this remains the case.
To explain our procedures and the reasons for them I'll detail what these procedues are and why they are in place.
-An import permit is required at a cost of AU$100 and can cover a period of up to 2 years. In this period you can import as many consignments of Nepenthes as you wish. The aim of the permit is to make sure that importers follow the correct procedures and the plants arrive in the correct condition- among other things.
-There is a charge for the inspection of the material when it arrives to ensure that there is no obvious insect infestation or disease symptoms. We also check to make sure that all of the import conditions have been met (ie- plants are free from soil and other materials).(AU$35.50 per 15 minutes)
-Another charge for the time taken to examine and verify all of the documentation such as phytosanitary certificates and the import permit itself. (AU$21.00)
-The Nepenthes will then be transferred to the post-entry Quarantine facility for a period of contained growth and treatment. This is to ensure that any pests or diseases that were not originally apparent can be detected should they turn up at a later date. (costs vary depending upon the number of plants in the consignment. Usually around AU$15 per plant (depending on pot size) for the entire period but decreases the more plants you import)
-Upon arrival the plants are treated with a methyl bromide fumigant to kill off any insects that may be present. (AU$35.50)
-A nemotocide treatment follows to ensure that any nematodes present in the roots or stems are killed. These can be potentially devastating to various crops such as potatoes. (AU$35.50 charge for AQIS supervision while the importer carries out the nematocide dipping)
-Approximately half way through the post-entry growth period (usually 2 months in from a 4 month total) a Quarantine Officer performs a check to determine if any disease symptoms have emerged. (AU$35.50)
If everything is OK after all of this the plants can be released.
The costs can be high if you are only importing a couple of plants but get significantly cheaper per plant the more you import.
So, while the regulations are strict, they have been created for a good reason and I will argue your opinion that they are exagerrated.
(Hope that didn't sound terse or condescending, that definitely wasn't my aim. Just trying to inform and help
)
Sean.
Aaron, the information you recieved from the woman you spoke to is completely incorrect! The requirements for seed to enter the country are-
1. that the seed must be labelled with a botanical name.
2. that the seed is free from any contamination (ie- seed capsules, flower parts, other seeds, etc) or insect infestation.
You do not need to be a commercial entity and the seeds do not need to be commercially packaged.
You can receive seed from anybody anywhere in the world as long as they meet the above requirements.
Everyday (actually I'm inspecting a packet of seeds at the moment!) I inspect and release numerous packages containing seed that come from everyday collectors and none are commercially packaged. I often have the chance to inspect seeds addressed to myself!
The only exceptions to this in the world of CPs is all Genlisea and Ibicella species as well as a few aquatic Utricularia species which are prohibited.
I'm not sure who you spoke to, but they obviously have no idea what they are talking about.
Gus,
The restrictions on live plant material or hardened plants are in place for a very good reason. We take no risks in relation to the introduction of live plants. As you are probably aware, Australia is currently free from many of the pests and diseases that are present overseas and we aim to ensure that this remains the case.
To explain our procedures and the reasons for them I'll detail what these procedues are and why they are in place.
-An import permit is required at a cost of AU$100 and can cover a period of up to 2 years. In this period you can import as many consignments of Nepenthes as you wish. The aim of the permit is to make sure that importers follow the correct procedures and the plants arrive in the correct condition- among other things.
-There is a charge for the inspection of the material when it arrives to ensure that there is no obvious insect infestation or disease symptoms. We also check to make sure that all of the import conditions have been met (ie- plants are free from soil and other materials).(AU$35.50 per 15 minutes)
-Another charge for the time taken to examine and verify all of the documentation such as phytosanitary certificates and the import permit itself. (AU$21.00)
-The Nepenthes will then be transferred to the post-entry Quarantine facility for a period of contained growth and treatment. This is to ensure that any pests or diseases that were not originally apparent can be detected should they turn up at a later date. (costs vary depending upon the number of plants in the consignment. Usually around AU$15 per plant (depending on pot size) for the entire period but decreases the more plants you import)
-Upon arrival the plants are treated with a methyl bromide fumigant to kill off any insects that may be present. (AU$35.50)
-A nemotocide treatment follows to ensure that any nematodes present in the roots or stems are killed. These can be potentially devastating to various crops such as potatoes. (AU$35.50 charge for AQIS supervision while the importer carries out the nematocide dipping)
-Approximately half way through the post-entry growth period (usually 2 months in from a 4 month total) a Quarantine Officer performs a check to determine if any disease symptoms have emerged. (AU$35.50)
If everything is OK after all of this the plants can be released.
The costs can be high if you are only importing a couple of plants but get significantly cheaper per plant the more you import.
So, while the regulations are strict, they have been created for a good reason and I will argue your opinion that they are exagerrated.
(Hope that didn't sound terse or condescending, that definitely wasn't my aim. Just trying to inform and help
Sean.