http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3866264a11,00.html

interesting huh 8)

any1 know what his username was???

I bought some on Trademe and had a visit from biosecurity but the plant did not survive. Henry23 (Plantman)

It wasn't the brightest of ideas selling them on trademe.

Anyone got any idea what plants etc were involved.

It may help others that obtained some from him and dispose of them.

Alan 104

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listin ... ber=256756

When the biosecurity people came to visit they were interested in Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata ("cuba") and were working their way around NZ seeing anyone who had bought it from Trademe. The plant is described on the Tropica site. I am grateful that I keep only plants that the average Jo Blow can keep alive. If the plant needs CO2 and metal halides to survive then I am not interested. Consequently the plant died ( they had not found any that had survived at that stage). If it had been alive they may well have destroyed all my other plants so I consider myself lucky. There is a lesson here.

Do we know if any other plants are illegal, other than the ludwigia. I brought some plants off him.

Whoa, thats crazy... BUT, teaches him right for doing it IMO.

I bought plants off him but it was only Rotala Wallichii....

It said on alot of his auctions lately that he is selling up lots of his fish stuff etc.... Now we know why....

i have been to his house and seen his tanks and they are lovely and so is he, i wouldnt have dreamed he would be getting parcels from overseas containing illegal plants

it sucks all his fish were killed- i dont see what killing them has to do with plants!?

That is why we have quarantine, not only could the plant be a potential problem but it is also the risk of other unwanted stuff coming in with the plants.

It doesnt matter who it is, I have no sympathy for someone who deliberately flouts biosecurity rules and standards for their own gain.

Too bad if they get caught, no punishment is high enough as far as I am concerned. Too many animals, plants and livelihoods have been decimated through the selfishness and greed of others.

What is ten times worse is that it was by someone who did know better, not should have known better. His actions have put all fish and plant keepers in NZ into disrepute.

Maybe it shows how much he loves the plant hobby and how much he wants to improve it??

it sucks all his fish were killed- i dont see what killing them has to do with plants!?

Diseases could of come in with the plants and could of been in the fish and then spread etc.. introducing new diseases wouldnt be good....

good point alan/rogan

come on guys...obviously the lad has suffered enough. he is a helpful mate in this forum, and i am sure we all appreciate his advice and guidance on plants in the past.

okies, importing plants is a Big NO NO, lesson learnt. i am sure he wont do it again. lets not finger pointing and it doesnt prove anything.

any further comment i reckon should do this in pms.

I accept that he has made a mistake and the courts will decide a punishment and when completed that will be that. We can all learn from this. It is a scary thing when the biosecurity people turn up and have more power to enter and search your property than the police and also have the power to destroy your plants and pets.

come on guys...obviously the lad has suffered enough. he is a helpful mate in this forum, and i am sure we all appreciate his advice and guidance on plants in the past.

okies, importing plants is a Big NO NO, lesson learnt. i am sure he wont do it again. lets not finger pointing and it doesnt prove anything.

any further comment i reckon should do this in pms.

Totally agreed, and i think that what joze said should be kept to herself, not said over a public forum.... Henry is probably reading this....

Actually i have to come out on Joze side on this one.

It cost the business I work for Thousands of dollars a year in MAF fee's as well as all the paper work that I have to do everytime a container arrives. Not to mention all the work that has been done in the last 12 -24 months improving the standards of Biosecurity in this country. There are several hundred (thousands ?) of business that co-operate with MAF and do our damdest to make sure we keep the nasty bugs and organisms out of this country. ( So MAF doesnt have to go and spray west auckland again!)

Not to mention the 'legitimate' importers of fish and other fish hobby how do you think they feel about somebody circumventing the law? Perhaps next time you question the costs of fish, think about the costs associated with MAF spending 50K of our hard earned tax $$ on this. UltmatelyThis cost will be passed on to consumers, it may not be directly to "fish people" but it will be passed on. Just so you know the increase come in the form of something like this. ( Email From MAF 10/8/2006)

Changes to MAF Border Clearance Fees

In April 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) issued a discussion paper entitled Border Clearance Costs and Organism Identification Requirements outlining changes proposed to the costs of cargo clearance services provided by MAF under the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2003, including revised fees. MAF subsequently advised affected stakeholders of modifications to some of the key proposals on 6 June 2006.

MAF can now confirm that the new fees, contained in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 and the Shipping Container Levy 2006 will come into force on 7 September 2006. However the Biosecurity Risk Screening Levy 2006 will come into effect on 1 October 2006 in order to align with New Zealand Customs Service's monthly billing cycle to importers, as this charge will be collected by Customs on MAF's behalf. In the intervening period, regulation 7 of the 2003 regulations pertaining to the inspection of import documentation will remain in place.

The new fees will affect anyone who ships or imports goods (including passengers bringing in risk goods in their baggage) or anyone who operates a transitional or containment facility.

So yeah, pretty much effects everyone, from someone importing live fish, right through to the expensive tube you buy for your fish tank.

Brake the rules be prepared to pay the price

I too agree with Joze. The cost and potential future cost of his actions is huge. Hopefully he won't get pulled through the ringer too much but he certainly deserves what he gets. A precident has to be set and if everybody who did this "got-off' then it would happen a lot more often.

We've got a very special environment in New Zealand, - free from most of the worlds nasties. We won't know what we've got until it's gone and actions like this put what we've got at risk...

this is my stance

I have NO sympathy for ANYONE who smuggles in plant and animal product. A conviction is NOT the end of it.

At no time did I bring it up or know that the person involved was a forum member until it was mentioned in public. This if anything makes the offence worse. They know better yet chose to deliberately and systematically flaunt the law and environmental good sense. If the offense had been releasing fish into the wild, I have no doubt that the defenders in this case would be first to condemn. Smuggling plant life in is as bad, if not worse in most cases.

More to the point this case makes us (the members) look stupid and severely impacts the credibility of fish and plant keepers and most especially FNZAS. This is very important when it comes to MAF, DOC, Fish and Game and local government. It costs you, the consumer every time you buy anything or pay any taxes. It could cost us all in the total ban of the importation of aquatics. That threat is not as far fetched as you think.

I will not apologise at any point for being very angry about this, I dont really care if a forum member has hurt feelings about their biosecurity conviction being publicised.

I hope Henry is reading this forum.

I recently bought a filter from him and as recently as yesterday was asked, by him,to give feed back on this trade.(The trade was good /the filter works well)

Had I known Henry had already been through a court process regarding illegal trading with plants,and thereby subjecting all previous traders to some sort of home invasion by biosecurity officers, I possibly would not have bought the filter,and if had I proceeded with the purchase, I would have been aware of the possible outcome.

I am not in favour of anyone 'pulling the wool over my eyes' to acheive a financial gain,no matter what their justification is,if the process is against NZ law and may jeopordize our natural ecology.

I am sure Henry had the best of intentions in his endeavours but when it impacts on others there is obviously a lack of thought or a certain amount of greed involved.

Perhaps Henry may wish to put his point of view(or an apology) on this forum.

Well, can i just say that I wazs told by a person on these forums that they smuggled a Tiger Lotus plant into NZ. I that hadnt happened, we wouldnt have that plant would we?

Henry smuggled plants into NZ to try better the hobby, surely. I agree that yes he will get what he deserves because he broke the law, but, I dont think we should have a big slanging match about him etc. Thats my point of view, i wont post anyting else so i dont upset anyone...