Java fern on import plant list !!!

[hovmoller]

I don't think under stand what I'll do I'll import grown emerged so normal plant rules would apply

Well, keep us informed of how you are getting on and when you succeed we will all give you kudos for your achievement.

[alexyay]

No because it isn't always an aquatic plant it's naturally grows out of the water most of the time

Unfortunately as far as I'm aware, aquatic plants must be quarantined as specified. If you actually have MPI saying that emersed plants can be imported under different standards, please let me know.

For example: Many aquatic plants are listed for quarantine under "Anubias". This is the standard for "Anubias":

"A. For Whole Plants:

PEQ: Level 2 This means it must be a level 2 Quarantine Facility

Minimum Period: 3 months Yes, 3 months.

Additional Declaration:

"The plants were inspected immediately prior to export and no snails, snail eggs, worms or leeches were detected in a 600 unit sample".

Special Conditions:

i) each aquarium must be clear sided and clearly labelled as follows:

QUARANTINE AQUARIUM

MPI Registration Number:

Name of Quarantine Operator:

ii) the aquarium must be placed in a watertight tray, the bottom of which must contain a dilute solution of copper sulphate (5 parts per million or a small grain of a copper sulphate crystal in a litre of water);

iii) must be inside a building which can be secured;

iv) must be at least 5m away from a non-quarantine aquarium.

B. For Tissue Cultures:

As for Standard Entry Conditions for Tissue Cultures - see Section 2.2.2"

There are no "ifs" or "buts" - this is how the plant must be imported. When I inquired about "Cuttings" and "Bulbs" (separate categories from "Whole Plants"), MPI said that they cannot be imported as such, and may only be imported as "Whole Plants" and "Tissue Cultures" as specified under the Anubias standard. It's not exactly a, uh, lenient process. You quarantine as they specify, not as how you think it should be quarantined.

That is, of course, on top of the typical Quarantine Facility requirements, and I imagine an importer's license for plants, a customs broker, a phytosanitary certificate etc.

Honestly, it takes hours of research to understand the import process. I've spent several hours researching and discussing this with MPI and I barely understand the process. I don't want to have to do your research, but I want to emphasize how difficult it is to import so that you can understand why getting a plant added to the list (which still "requires assessment") is a very small part of the process.

[camtang]

Geez you are good at what you do Alexyay

[alanmin4304]

If it was financially viable to import aquatic plants chances are someone would be doing it. I know of a few people in Christchurch who have done it in the past but no one is doing it now.

[alexyay]

Geez you are good at what you do Alexyay

:oops: Thank you - too much spare time on my hands I imagine

[reef]

I Think the last time someone imported plants was about 10 years ago.

[alexyay]

I Think the last time someone imported plants was about 10 years ago.

Really? I didn't realize it was that unlikely. I just cannot see 3-6 month QT periods in a secured facility being viable for anyone unless for some reason you happened to have the facility already set up. Most good suppliers (with the proper credentials for our import standards) won't supply eg under $500-$1000 worth of plants in one go to a business, not to mention a lot of those are going to melt (especially as there's not much point in bringing in stuff like Hygrophila as we have it all). Plus even a sole plant importer would have to compete with the occasional illegal imports (people bringing in seeds with no clue to the consequences of their actions), and plants go in booms so people often will give away eg $20 worth of plants without knowing their value. It's just not an easy business (not something a hobbyist would do) to set up, and there's so many legalities to go through, along with (much like with fish) MPI being allowed to destroy batches if they wish.

Unfortunately the import standards aren't built around emersed plants, or how many plants are grown and sterilized before dispatch (overseas, for example, plants often arrive in the country already packaged to sell under brands such as Tropica). They're made around worst-case scenarios (totally submerged plants, not regulated growth, coming in with parasites/pests) and there's no "but these are clean!" available. Although - we don't get many pests here in comparison to overseas, and who knows what diseases other aquatic plants may carry (and may not show for a long time).