take live stock from Hawaii back to WA

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bmw-legend

Yellow tang
Joined
Dec 8, 2008
Messages
33
Location
Everett
I am currently on vacation on the Big island Kona. I was wonder if anyone able to take any live stock back to WA? If you able to how?
 
I am currently on vacation on the Big island Kona. I was wonder if anyone able to take any live stock back to WA? If you able to how?

We just went to Kona in March you should go on the Manta Ray dive it was really cool.

I doubt you can bring any thing out of the ocean home with you though, you can't even remove sand from the beach.

Brian
 
I am currently on vacation on the Big island Kona. I was wonder if anyone able to take any live stock back to WA? If you able to how?

Some aquatic life is OK to take. Minus protected species (ie sea tutles, coral, monk seals), those not in season (ie lobsters, moi), and some size restrictions, you are ok to take with a scoop net or by pole. Throw nets of a certain mesh are also a nono. You may get an Aquarium Permit on line to do so at:

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/licenses_permits.html

Rocks is ok if it is unattached to the sea bottom or shoreline. There is a weight limit and there are other restrictions. Coral requires a special permit that takes years to get and is only granted for research or education.

Anemones, feather dusters, octopuses, and other similar marine inhabitants are as far as I know covered under the Aquarium permit. Declarations of your "catch" and such are all that is usually required.
 
As far as collecting and taking rocks home. Just don't take them from a protected area, you're gonna get yelled at and fined. When you are mailing it home, just wrap them in wet towels and seal those as best as you can as late as you can. You do not have to send it in water. It will go aerobic and you will end up with a stinking pool of death by the time it gets to you.

Also keep in mind that "overnight delivery" in Hawaii does not constitute one actual night. The fine print will almost always exclude Alaska and Hawaii. You can count on it taking longer to get where ever it's gonna go. How long it actually takes is up to the good lord to decide.
 
When Les w/ wet pets sent me a Fed Ex second day package to a collection center near me I recieved it the next day. It only took sixteen total hours to arrive at the collection center. Then I had to wait two hours for the center to open.
 
on the Agriculture side, you can take beach sand and sea shells, but not land shells. The law on the rocks is 1 gallon container per person per day and its absolutely illegal to collect anything except livestock from the reef and like Porkfat said its illegal to use most throw nets designed to collect anything smaller than a medium fish.

As far as the shipping goes, you can mail out the rock in priority boxes from the USPS and it wont cost too much. Should get it in 3-5 days. For the livestock, send it the fastest way possible and pray it gets there. The shipping time depends on how many flights are going out that day to SEA and what time of day you send it.
 
It's bad luck to take anything (not just lava) from big island. People will disagree with me, but do you really want to find out? Besides, why rape that fragile ecosystem any more than it already has been?

Just take pictures, and leave it alone!:)
 
It's bad luck to take anything (not just lava) from big island. People will disagree with me, but do you really want to find out? Besides, why rape that fragile ecosystem any more than it already has been?

Just take pictures, and leave it alone!:)

pokapahu, strong statement since your join date is quite a few years ago and you have one post, I can tell you are serious. Some people might disagree with you but I think they will be in the minority.

I appreciate and respect your input, well said.
 
I agree leave the reef alone ;). My signature picture was taken there at the Captain Cook Monument there are like 72 Yellow Tangs in that picture.

Brian
 
So its okay to collect from some other country's waters where there are less restrictions, but not okay to collect from US waters where we may go to vacation?

Sounds a like a classic "not in my backyard" approach. Very ironic considering most of us own at least one Hawaiian specimen. It think the greater question is not where the specimens come from (unless they are endangered or illegal), but rather to reef or not to reef!

I probably won't collect anything while in Hawaii because it sounds like a hassle to deal with on vacation. Best of luck.
 
Oh you've done it now :eek:

Someone grab a link of a, should I be reef keeping thread.

We can talk about sustainability, and chime in with aquaculture, environmental impact, global warming and probally even a bit of globalization.

In the end though, the impact we have on the environment about us is the only real control we can exercise in our hobby. Exercise restraint, and respect.
 
When I was there I brought back a nice piece of rock that is about the size of a softball. It was dry and completely dead. All I did was put it in my suitcase. I was terrified I was doing something wrong though.

Lord knows I drooled over many live rocks in the pools that I snorkeled in but I agree if it is alive leave it alone.

If you see something you want shoot Les at Wet Pets Hawaii a pm and I am sure he can legally get it for you, barring the above mentioned protected animals.
 
You can purchase fish there at local stores (keep receipt) and check them in. You can not hand carry on the plane. That way they still make a profit. Same for plants, you need a person who gives you an agricultural stamp for the plant purchased. The locals know what is allowed especially a retailer.
 
Been it maui once. Never snorkled before that. Omg!! My family couldnt get me out of the water!! My ears suffered! Lol i will never have a tank keeping those kinds of fish after that trip. I may eat my words some day but after seeing those fish in the wild and now going into stores and seeing them in tanks. Its almost like going to the animal shelter. I feel bad. And thier just fish for crying out loud! Ill stick with little clowns and gobys and what not. And here i hunt. Kill elk. Kill deer slaughter gophers..... Whats up with the fish deal....
 
I don't see the difference between taking home a rock from Hawaii and ordering live rock from Fiji.
 
I don't see the difference between taking home a rock from Hawaii and ordering live rock from Fiji.

The question isn't which island, it is where on the island. A tourist typically grabs something within easy reach in a tourist locale. A commercial wholesaler gathers larger quantities in deeper water or away from an actively visited inhabited reef. I have more trust in a licenced shipper than a guy on vacation, to leave his "home reef" as best intact as possible.
 

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