Exporting, Importing Fish?

[paw-paw]

HI!

I am going to UK in a few days and I am also planing to go to some pet shops...
I am just curious- if I find any fish I like can I import them in my country (it is eu country - slovenia) or are there any special requirements?
I am traveling by plane...I guess I couldn't take fish back with me than? As a personal laguage?

I knoe it is kinda silly question, anyway I could go looking for fish in other eu countries where I can travel by car but still want to know.

Just one more question. About feeder fish - how are they sold - in pet shops? At what price (average)? Do you know what ther are when you buy them (species) ?


THX

 

[Shrimper]

Good question... I didn't know the rules for taking fish out of the uk, but i've managed to find this page: [URL="http/www.efishbusiness.co.uk/exports/default.asp"]http/www.efishbusiness.co.uk/exports/default.asp[/URL]

After reading this it says you need to apply to Fish Health Inspectorate 5 working days before you plan to export the fish so they can arrange for them to be inspected. If your only here for a few days its probably not possible.

If you still want to try I would speak to your airline. They can advise if you are allowed to bring fish onto the plane and who to speak to in Slovenia about possible licences/laws at that end.


As for feeder fish they aren't generally sold in the uk, I've never seen any fish sold as feeders in any shop... To quote Wikipedia: In the UK, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits deliberate and “unnecessary suffering” to animals, but contrary to widespread belief, it does not explicitly outlaw the feeding of live feeder fish to other fish. However, it does prohibit introducing two animals for the purpose of “fighting, wrestling or baiting”. Nonetheless, the assumption is that a legal case could be made to class the use of feeder fish as a “fight” and though as-yet untried in the courts, the risk of such a prosecution has led many retailers and hobbyists simply to treat the use of feeder fish in the UK as illegal

 

[aquila]

As for feeder fish they aren't generally sold in the uk, I've never seen any fish sold as feeders in any shop... To quote Wikipedia: In the UK, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits deliberate and “unnecessary suffering” to animals, but contrary to widespread belief, it does not explicitly outlaw the feeding of live feeder fish to other fish. However, it does prohibit introducing two animals for the purpose of “fighting, wrestling or baiting”. Nonetheless, the assumption is that a legal case could be made to class the use of feeder fish as a “fight” and though as-yet untried in the courts, the risk of such a prosecution has led many retailers and hobbyists simply to treat the use of feeder fish in the UK as illegal

I always understood that part of the act as meaning shops could not sell fish for the explicit purpose of feeding to other fish - so they could not put a 'feeder fish' sign over a tank of goldfish, for example. There's nothing to stop people buying live fish and feeding them to other fish, and I don't think that would be viewed as illegal.

 

[Shrimper]

I always understood that part of the act as meaning shops could not sell fish for the explicit purpose of feeding to other fish - so they could not put a 'feeder fish' sign over a tank of goldfish, for example. There's nothing to stop people buying live fish and feeding them to other fish, and I don't think that would be viewed as illegal.

I don't think it is technically illegal... As i understand in the US some fish are sold specifically as feeder fish and these will be cheaper and less colourful than "normal" fish. I assume any fish sold to be a feeder fish in the UK would be a "normal" fish that just happened to be cheap.

 

[rossyboy]

On the note of airlines allowing transportation of fish...

(this is going to sound sooooo cheesy)

but i was watching Airline (yes... i know) and a guy tried transporting a large oranda in a plastic bag (he bred them). He'd been doing it for 5 months and on this occasion they found it on his belongings/hand luggage.

He was banned from the airline, and made aware it's against policy of major UK/International Airlines.

 

[fourthtimelucky]

Since they won't even let you take a bottle of water to drink onboard, I doubt they're going to let you take a bag of fish into the cabin with you.