Dear SCIDU Members,

Below is some information we have received from one of our members which may benefit other members.


I have been helping out a hunter that in relation to importing some Tahr salt dried skins into the country. Although he had all the necessary documentation the AQIS officer seized the skins at Brisbane airport because they did not meet the permit requirements.

The issue was not in relation to Vegetable matter or the like, but the skins could not be linked to the permit number. This is a very anal approach to the permit but as it stood the officer was "correct", but..............

I have been successful in getting AQIS to release the skins without having them gamma rayed, (there was no requirement to have them done on the seizure form), so lucky this time.

We need to get it out there to members hunting in New Zealand & New Caledonia that they may have to start attaching tags with the permit number written on it to the skins. I haven't heard of this happening before nor had the AQIS officer in Canberra but it is just another hoop we need to try & hurdle depending on who inspects the items.

If you want any other information please contact me and I can forward the contact details.
Regards

Kristy

Kristy Hammond
Administration
Safari Club International
Down Under Chapter
PO Box 140
GUYRA NSW 2365

What is the permit required?

Brisbane Customs and AQIS at the airport seem to make their own rules up as they go.

It is an AQIS import permit that they had. How you match that to a tahr trophy is unkown - I guess they were wanting to have the vet certicate number noted on the Aussie import permit?? or some such crap... which would effectively mean that you couldnt bring your trophies back with you.

Just sounds like someone making up rules as they go.

Why doesn't the hunter just get the cape tanned in NZ then shipped over?

Hey Bakes if you get a skin tanned in NZ the cost is just about the same as getting it mounted over here,they charge like wounded bulls!What is wrsot is that under the south pacific agreement (which is set up to smooth the way for live export/import for livestock) solong as you have a vet ceritificate it show pass though without any drama. Were it all falls down is Canberra tells you one thing andthe guys at the airport have thier own personnel ideas. I have had similar problems at melbourne airport and said them "so there are 148 officers working here,does that mean evertime i enter there is a going to be 148 answers on what to do!"I want to know why a taxidermist can't work with customs and have a pickling bath set up so if there is confussion the skins can be placed in that for collection so as not to ruin valueable trohpies!!!!

Bloody hell, so its $600ish just to tan a cape

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Why doesn't the hunter just get the cape tanned in NZ then shipped over?

As zhaba says.... because we dont have to!!!! I am sick of being bent over by these incompetants - I do not accept this.

Truth of the matter is that when you come through Customs & AQIS - you are just as likely to see a 25YO staffer with little to no training in these specific areas. When that happens your first response should be "go get your supervisor" ... but even then we have been failed by the supervisors too.

Case in point my client that was harrassed at Brisbane airport by the Customs official because they had their bolt in the rifle. All the supervisors agreed that this was a terrible offence but could not direct the traveller to the relevant regulation that says this. I gave them a pretty thorough bashing over it but no one will admit that this happened. AQIS is the same but even worse.

I'm heading to NZ in April so I've just emailed AQIS looking for clarification on what's required re permits, procedures etc.

I'll let you know the outcome.

brought a tahr and chamie head back last year through Melbourne no paper work no problems looked at the heads cleaned up nice see ya later, probably helped the officer's "female she knew what they were" father was a hunter