Bringing corals back in checked luggage

dopey · Mar 22, 2018

stevieduk said:
Im in the U.K. We are not allowed to carry liquids of any sort in hand luggage,in Europe, because of liquid explosives risk. As for corals , I actually tried to buy some frags from the States and was told that you were not allowed to export them from the U.S A to Europe, so Im not saying dont try it , just that if they see it on the x ray machine and stop you they may take them away

This be Spain to Sweden. Best I can tell reading this is 100% OK, as long as what I bring back is allowed in sweden .

That said unless the thermos in my checked luggage triggers some check, I don't see how anyone would know.

Though my intent here is not to "get away with it", from the site's I read this is OK.

stevieduk · Mar 22, 2018

you pays your money and takes your choice my friend. easiest way to find out if you want to be legal is to ring the airline and ask

stevieduk · Mar 22, 2018

If I was coming back to the U.K. from the States , i would tryu and smuggle in some Bayer total bug killer so I could dip corals.
Its been banned in Britain for gardening, but I dont want it for that do I

scott711 · Mar 22, 2018

In the United states, you can bring corals/fish as carry on (not as checked baggage) and they can have more water than the 3oz. Here is the information on TSA's website:

Coral: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/live-coral
Fish: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/live-fish
All pets: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips/taking-your-human-plane-what-every-pet-needs-know

I would suggest printing the pages and bringing them with you. You may also want to call ahead and check with your airline. Corals and fish are allowed after TSA has inspected it when you walk through security.

andrewkw · Mar 22, 2018

scott711 said:
In the United states, you can bring corals/fish as carry on (not as checked baggage) and they can have more water than the 3oz. Here is the information on TSA's website:

Coral: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/live-coral
Fish: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/live-fish
All pets: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips/taking-your-human-plane-what-every-pet-needs-know

I would suggest printing the pages and bringing them with you. You may also want to call ahead and check with your airline. Corals and fish are allowed after TSA has inspected it when you walk through security.

Why are US rules going to apply in Europe? They don't apply in Canada.

As I already mentioned if you bring them back without water there is nothing to peak securities interest. In Canada I have not had to open my carry on bags carrying corals on wrapped in paper towels. The worst they can do is swab it since there is no liquid you are not breaking any airline rules. It would be the same as if you brought a sandwich with you.

Lasse · Mar 22, 2018

Its a little bit complicate (inside EU) because stony corals trade is regulated by EU list II (Cites B). In the regulation it says (valid in EU) that organisms listed in EU list II (stronger version of Cites B) should be handled the same way that organism listed in EU I (Cites A) if not the authorities of the actual country knows it imported legally into EU. In Sweden - with vertebrates listed in EU II list - this has lead to that they more or less demand that you can show a certificate on this from the seller or a birth certificate. According to stony corals - the rules is the same but there is more or less no controls. If you run into a control you certainly need a receipt from the store you bought it, probably some documentation how it was coming into the EU from the beginning and lot of good luck. Its up to you to prove its legal imported (in the first place) into the EU. But if you can prove this - its free to transport organism noted in EU list II across the borders in EU. To transport organism listed in EU list I across the Swedish border legally - do not even think it. In Sweden it is high fines (even jail) if you break the regulation around treated animals - and it is up to you to show that you do not break the regulation

One more thing - as I know it - inside the EU all checked luggage is transported in heated space in the aircraft - so a small isolated box in your checked box should work. I would not dare to enter a aircraft in Spain with something that can have a liquid in it - I doubt it will work

. Why I know that they use heated space - it has been a lot of wine bottles going that way for many years - never have heard about frozen wine

and you know the reason why - you can spell it - Systembolaget

Sincerely Lasse

dopey · Mar 22, 2018

Lasse said:
Its a little bit complicate (inside EU) because stony corals trade is regulated by EU list II (Cites B). In the regulation it says (valid in EU) that organisms listed in EU list II (stronger version of Cites B) should be handled the same way that organism listed in EU I (Cites A) if not the authorities of the actual country knows it imported legally into EU. In Sweden - with vertebrates listed in EU II list - this has lead to that they more or less demand that you can show a certificate on this from the seller or a birth certificate. According to stony corals - the rules is the same but there is more or less no controls. If you run into a control you certainly need a receipt from the store you bought it, probably some documentation how it was coming into the EU from the beginning and lot of good luck. Its up to you to prove its legal imported (in the first place) into the EU. But if you can prove this - its free to transport organism noted in EU list II across the borders in EU. To transport organism listed in EU list I across the Swedish border legally - do not even think it. In Sweden it is high fines (even jail) if you break the regulation around treated animals - and it is up to you to show that you do not break the regulation

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks lasse.

My intent was just some soft corals, zoa frags. More for the story than the exotic nature. So they wouldn't be considered Stony nor a vertabrate ?

Actually want to purchase bulk from local stores in sweden to support them, just be neat to have a zoa we brought back from Spain in the tank.

Lasse · Mar 22, 2018

Soft or zoa - no problems as long as they are not attached to dead stony corals (a tiny bit - normally no problem). Did you read my edit in the post - according heated space?

Sincerely Lasse

Lasse · Mar 22, 2018

And Zoa - they normally is transported into Sweden (from Asia) dry but with a wet paper in the plastic bag. dry but moist.

Sincerely Lasse

dopey · Mar 25, 2018

Have made it back ! Acclimated them, and just placed them on the sandbed. Will see how they do and move them in a week or so to a more permanent place..

Rasta Zoa(though it looks quite unhappy..)
Candy cane
Watermelon mushroom.

Ended up doing small baggies in a thermos.

Flexin · Mar 25, 2018

Can't you just order them and have them shipped?

In reality all the corals originated from somewhere else for the most part. I guess I'm missing the mystique of this whole thing when they all come from somewhere else besides Sweden. Or, you want to say you smuggled them into Sweden I guess. Because that's what you did... Or am I missing something...

dopey · Mar 25, 2018

Flexin said:
Can't you just order them and have them shipped?

In reality all the corals originated from somewhere else for the most part. I guess I'm missing the mystique of this whole thing when they all come from somewhere else besides Sweden. Or, you want to say you smuggled them into Sweden I guess. Because that's what you did... Or am I missing something...

True, we've been to two of the three shops nearby. One has stopped saltwater, the other is a large chain with questionable quality, and we are planning a trip to the third one next weekend. We were on vacation, and visited a local shop. Very nice, clean, knowledgeable staff. Also seeing the SO get into it was nice.

I explained to the shop I was bringing back home and they gave me invoice/details if customs was an issue.

As for the appeal, we think it be neat to have a couple items from a memorable vacation/trip in the tank. Not that they are from the waters of Spain, just memory of where/when we got the corals.

As for ordering online probably ultimately have to..though I have my hopes for the last store to be good. Its not the same online shops one can use in the USA .

Certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. My significant other thought I was nuts for looking into if we could bring them back , felt I did look into it , discussed CITES with the shop etc.