|
|
Post by cabintom on Aug 22, 2016 15:42:01 GMT
Hi all,
Looks like I'll be visiting Germany & Switzerland in late Oct / early Nov.
I'd like to bring a number of specimens with me so that I can mail them to interested parties currently working on various revisions. It'll be heck of a lot easier to mail from within the EU than from Africa. Is there anything I should know about?
Thanks!
Tom
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 22, 2016 15:47:24 GMT
Just put them into your luggage (the registered one) and it will be fine.
If you can obtain a letter from an entomological authority explaining that these specimens are for research, it may help in case of custom control.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 23, 2016 6:44:06 GMT
Well it's a little bit of gambling. While it is not forbidden to bring them in, German customs might take them off of you and ask for a mandatory veterinary inspection which ranges something around 150€ as far as I know (you will get them back of course!). The veterinary inspection will not do anything else than state, that they are dead butterflies, and in fact dead, so not of any harm. I personally have never been called out by German customs, so I cannot give you exact details of what they will ask or do. Tell them straight away that nothing of it is CITES, its for research, and long dead. If they start arguing something that law XYZ would forbid anything, let it be European or German, tell them that there is no law forbidding the import and that their interpretation is wrong. In any case, I have never ever been taken out by customs at an airport. Furthermore they should be nice and friendly people, that just want to do their job. They will probably not have any experience with insects, and be baffled upon seeing them. That's the right moment of telling them that nothing of it is protected, dead, and of no harm to anyone  Depending on which airport you enter it is always a good idea to know the CITES representative (of a museum) for this airport, and have the phone number in your pockets. Let them know beforehand in an email, that you will bring in stuff for research. I wish I could have been more precise in my details, but as I have never been taken out by customs I can just tell you what should happen, and not what will happen. |
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 23, 2016 7:00:16 GMT
p.S. If you are still there in early November, and going through Frankfurt, take the opportunity and go to Frankfurt insect fair!!
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 23, 2016 7:31:01 GMT
Small tip :
as Claude just said, they rarely control luggage.
So dress and look as "neutral/well educated" as possible and they should focus on the luggage of the dreadlocks guy in your flight.
|
|
|
|
Post by africaone on Aug 23, 2016 9:27:33 GMT
if you have a permit take it, it will be easier. It is possible to obtain one (but negociate it like an African for the price) and for the future it will help you. Contact Robert to know how to do in case of need. |
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Aug 23, 2016 20:01:20 GMT
p.S. If you are still there in early November, and going through Frankfurt, take the opportunity and go to Frankfurt insect fair!! We are flying through Frankfurt. When is the fair? Bringing insects into Canada is legal, so long as you declare you have them and show them to the customs official. Would you know if it is similar for Germany? Do I need to declare that I have them, or only if they check my luggage? EDIT: Just read your PM. |
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Aug 23, 2016 20:13:07 GMT
if you have a permit take it, it will be easier. It is possible to obtain one (but negociate it like an African  for the price) and for the future it will help you. Contact Robert to know how to do in case of need. Robert showed me his "permit", which I believe had expired a few years ago. It seemed like they just filled in some blanks on a form. It cost him $15 US. It also seems his habit was to update the permit only every few years... and he had quite a number of collectors out in the field. He wasn't to worried that I haven't obtained one, so I'm still weighing in my mind what I should do. I got stopped once, a couple of years ago, by a guy who claimed to be with the Ministry of the Environment. He asked to see my permit. I told him I didn't need one. That, amazingly, was the end of the conversation. I worry that going and inquiring about one will lead to unnecessary trouble... but then again, if I could get a permit without to much hassle it could save me trouble at the border. |
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 23, 2016 20:22:54 GMT
Don't declare them (you don't need to fill in any declaration form anyway, unlike other countries), don't show them. Put them into the registered luggage. There will be two paths of exit, one green (when you don't have anything declarable, like alcohol, cigarettes, lots of money) or a red one, if you have stuff to declare. So take the green exit unless you have lots of alcohol, money, or cigarettes with you . The worst that can happen is the 150€ veterinary inspection which is ridiculous in my opinion. I also send you a private message. The insect fair is 5th and 6th November this year. I would be glad to meet up. |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 24, 2016 6:55:16 GMT
When you put your specimens in your registered luggage, give them good packing. I roll my box in bubble wrap and pack lots of clothes around it to make sure nothing moves. Never yet had even a broken antennae.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 24, 2016 11:07:42 GMT
|
|
Depending on which airport you enter it is always a good idea to know the CITES representative (of a museum) for this airport, and have the phone number in your pockets. Let them know beforehand in an email, that you will bring in stuff for research. 
for the price) and for the future it will help you. Contact Robert to know how to do in case of need.
