Importing bettas

[Sandusky]

I'm not buying from an overseas breeder now, but in the future what must one have (license) to bring bettas into the US? Like when i come back from a country, to bring through customs to prove the fish was bought and QTed for entry? My mom works for the airlines but cannot answer these questions for me.

 

[Sorrell]

I would contact a transhipper before you go on your trip and arrange to ship your fish over, but that's just me

 

[Sandusky]

It would be best, you're right. But i'm desperately trying to avoid the shipping costs that trans-shippers put up.

 

[Sorrell]

Where in CA are you at? Nancy is in LA

 

[Sandusky]

I'm up about 15 minutes south of San Fransisco.

I'm asking because mom is taking us to Phuket, Thailand, she feels bad for the tsunami victims and wants to help by giving them as much money by tourism profits as she can. I, on the other hand, wish to use half my money on gorgeous bettas (benifits the breeders yes?) and the other half for the vicitims. In this i hatched my idea of bringing them back in 1/2 gallon water bottles in conditioned water. I'm worried for the x-ray scan and customs, i do not want to bring in illegal bettas but i do want bettas...

 

[KageBunshin]

I read somewhere that it is not Illegal to bring betta in the US. Only certain species (i.e. endangered/pest). I hear stories of people bring bettas in with water bottles and what not. Just dont publicly announce to the gaurd that your carrying fish on you. But this is bases on stories I read... can someone clarify the laws?

 

[Sorrell]

My concern is once you get into the US. They won't let you take fish on the plane, so I guess it depens on whether or not you'll be flying domestically

 

[KageBunshin]

Oh yeah i forgot to mention... Keep the betta on you as your carrion luggage. The cargo area is not completely pressurized... You dont want your bettas to explode do you.

 

[SRC]

It only cost $5 for the breeders overseas to ship to Linda...your biggest expense is the overnight shipment from her. If it only costs them $5 to ship them over (I'm sure they ship numerous over at a time though) I don't see that they care about the fish coming over here all that much.

If you were to put them in desani bottles and have them in your carry-on bag..honestly I don't think they'd care. So long as you aren't carrying weapon's lol they don't look too closely at anything else.

Although, I've never travelled overseas ...maybe you could call the airport customs department and ask them about it, I'm sure they'd be able to tell you what you need to do.

 

[Sorrell]

It only cost $5 for the breeders overseas to ship to Linda...your biggest expense is the overnight shipment from her. If it only costs them $5 to ship them over (I'm sure they ship numerous over at a time though) I don't see that they care about the fish coming over here all that much.

If you were to put them in desani bottles and have them in your carry-on bag..honestly I don't think they'd care. So long as you aren't carrying weapon's lol they don't look too closely at anything else.

Although, I've never travelled overseas ...maybe you could call the airport customs department and ask them about it, I'm sure they'd be able to tell you what you need to do.

I've tried to fly with fish before, trust me they care

 

[Bettaman]

you say it cost only $5.00 to ship one fish as you say they are shipping a lot of fish if its like me here in the UK you need a license so as not to bring any disease into the country that will affect you own species of fish, and something that cant live if released into the wild, by accident, and destroy the native population, even if you had a license you would have to pay airport tax and shipping costs and even border inspection fees and on top of that in the UK there is vat on the cost of the shipment so the trans shipper is having to pay all them fees as well not just to re ship......so when you look at it in that way it isn't that much less if you do it yourself, but you can bring in more fish for you money with a license, to bring 120 fish into the UK would cost me roughly $2000-$2500 thats about $17.00 a fish, so thats not bad value better than 2 -3 fish for $100 which would make them $33.00 each with ems ......

 

[SRC]

So how come it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to import one from Canada then? Because the last time I got one from there..it only cost me the Next Day Air price of $25, same as it would cost to ship one across state?

It's all very confusing lol.

If all that is true..it'd be better to just buy and have them sent to Linda and go pick them up. lol That's alot of rigamarole to go thru otherwise, imo.

 

[Sandusky]

Holy moley!

Bettaman is on my train of thought in regards to the liscense.
And, i fly alot overseas and never once thought of this question. What makes me ask it, really is because we brought over various shells and sand from Australia and were never caught. (Australia has a rep. for sand fleas on their beaches in summer i believe) I did rememeber reading someone say that when put through the X-ray a betta will become exposed to radiation and that could geneticaly mutate them...

I've heard it beeing done, flying with them in carry-on, but my main concern is just getting searched and having to fork them over after spending $$$ on them.

I think i might go the tran-shipper route, but man, talk about high prices...I'm in San Fran, and LA is only about 600-800 miles south, if i could have her send it priority it shouldn't cost a fortune, but then i don't know if that's negotiable.

Sorrell, you said you know her well yes? Can i ask if you would please bring this up to her?

I have till April to hatch a plan or talk to a trans-shipper. Also, i'm sure people know of good breeders in Thailand yes? Could anyone point me out a good direction of local breeders or markets selling bettas?

Thanks a million for the comments,
Sandusky