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The Feds Got 'em

I'm just stating there are numerous plants and animals that are not indigenous to the United States, or wherever for that matter, that can cause widespread damage. There has to be some form of control. If unidentified seeds or plants are just stuffed into an envelope, with no labeling or corresponding paperwork, what is Customs supposed to do, just let everything through? I think not. Kudzu was merely an example of a plant that got out of control, and does to this day, not unlike the mitten crab in the Thames, Zebra mussles in fresh water areas in the US, etc.
 
other examples of nonindigenous species in south florida that have degrading effects are:

walking catfish, brazilian pepper, and melaleuca trees

walking catfish brought in as an aquarium fish and set loose. Now it is rampant in the canals of southwest florida and can be quite damaging to the aquaculture.... http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Clarius_batrachus.html

"Brazilian pepper-tree is a native of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. It is thought to have been introduced into Florida around 1842-1849 as a cultivated ornamental plant. Brazilian pepper-tree is one of the most aggressive of these non-native invaders. Where once there were ecologically productive mangrove communities, now there are pure stands of Brazilian pepper-trees." http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA219

melaleuca was brought in by residents of south florida in 1906 to "drain the everglades" and now you can't get rid of the stuff. It grows so thick it creates a monoculture and nothing else survives. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mequ1.htm
 
AlabamaJack said:
other examples of nonindigenous species in south florida that have degrading effects are:

walking catfish, brazilian pepper, and melaleuca trees

walking catfish brought in as an aquarium fish and set loose. Now it is rampant in the canals of southwest florida and can be quite damaging to the aquaculture.... http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Clarius_batrachus.html

"Brazilian pepper-tree is a native of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. It is thought to have been introduced into Florida around 1842-1849 as a cultivated ornamental plant. Brazilian pepper-tree is one of the most aggressive of these non-native invaders. Where once there were ecologically productive mangrove communities, now there are pure stands of Brazilian pepper-trees." http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA219

melaleuca was brought in by residents of south florida in 1906 to "drain the everglades" and now you can't get rid of the stuff. It grows so thick it creates a monoculture and nothing else survives. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mequ1.htm
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Don't forget the big one we've got down there now, AJ....Burmese Pythons.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0603_040603_invasivespecies.html
 
right...forgot about those...just glad I am not a game warden in the big cypress swamp any more...I can just see me riding my three wheeler through a hammock and getting eaten...that would truly suck...
 
DEFCON Creator said:
devils pepper seeds now taken over large areas of the south.
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:onfire:

Your Homeland Security at work!
Guess its easy enough to figure out who is really at fault(see 9/11)PM me I'm clearing out some quality seed stock.
I recently found another international forum for seed trading and they say a required USDA permit is required(free) for trading Internationally in small amounts of seeds.There appears to be a lot or red tape involved,but I'm currently in the middle of this process.I thought I could do it online,but it may be easier to do by mail...I'm still working on it.Seems like the best way for Intl. trade is to stick with the birthday card trick which may lead to crushed seed.Of course if you order seed you have no control on how they package...I just received seed from Sardenia in a bubble wrapped package no prob!The seed seller probably posted his business all over the package which tends to be a red flag.Anyway if this stays a hot topic I'll post the USDA link.
Save the Capsicum.org!
 
I have had 2 packages seized by customs. One from the UK and one from a US seed distributor. They sent a letter in place of the seeds saying i couuld pay $50 to have them returned or they would destroy them for free.

Bit of a pain but i guess thems the rules.

If i buy from O/S again, i will contact the suplier and have them pack them in a plain envelope wrapped in a few sheets of print A4 to look like a basic letter. Padded bags with "chilli seeds" and preety pictures of fruit and veg will get stopped every time.

cheers
 
Australia is usually the only place I treat special when sending seeds because of their strict(for obvious reasons) import laws. Brazil and Italy are sometimes problems too, but never for me yet so far as I know.
 
When I applied for my permit last year, I did all the paper work and matter of fact have it in an manilla envelope on my desk at work...from what I understand, if it is not on the authorized USDA apporved list for import

is this the link you were going to post?

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/smalllots_seed.shtml

It's not hard paperwork...maybe a little bit confusing...I had a hundred questions, but I went to the county extension office that had USDA APHIS authority and the lady was very nice and helped me trememdously...they weren't busy at all...

The issue comes in where you have to fill out separate paper work for each species/variety...

Where I got hung up was finding the approved list for import...does anyone know a link?
 
Thanks for all the comments folks, appreciated.

I'm not ticked at the Feds, glad to see them doing the job they're paid to do. If the company I got them from was supposed to label things better and that is the reason they were stopped I guess I'll get a bit ticked at them. If it's my fault for not having the right permits then I'm going to have to be ticked at myself. I hate being ticked.

I'll try AJ's link and see if I can make heads or tails out of the governmentease they speak and get through the process.

A lot of hassle for three packets of pepper seeds, 10 seeds each.
 
patrick said:
A lot of hassle for three packets of pepper seeds, 10 seeds each.
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that was my point exactly...but you can get them in anyway...
 
Usually all that is needed is for them to fill out a customs declaration sticker. I usually fill one out when I send bubble envelopes out of the country. If your really want to do it right then there is a list of requirements for each recieving country including proper labelling of envelope and seed packages as well as possibly a phytosanitary certificate .
 
Derek...speaking of out of the country...did you get your letter from me yet?
 
Hey Suzy, why don't you just tell us what seeds you ordered and maybe you'll still get em! :lol:

K



patrick said:
Thanks for all the comments folks, appreciated.

I'm not ticked at the Feds, glad to see them doing the job they're paid to do. If the company I got them from was supposed to label things better and that is the reason they were stopped I guess I'll get a bit ticked at them. If it's my fault for not having the right permits then I'm going to have to be ticked at myself. I hate being ticked.

I'll try AJ's link and see if I can make heads or tails out of the governmentease they speak and get through the process.

A lot of hassle for three packets of pepper seeds, 10 seeds each.
Click to expand...
 
You talkin'to me? Suzy? Oh you are such a peach aren't you Kimmy?

The seeds were of ones I already ordered and received. I ended up giving most of them away so I was trying to get some back up for myself. I'm not worried about it, I have two or three of each and one of them has already come up.
 
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