Importing Fish

[reef_man]

How do you import fish? LFS do it all the time so how do you do it?

[Modern Angl]

There are only 7-8 importers in NZ who sell to all the Fish shops, and it costs alot of money(and I mean ALOT!) to import fish into NZ, the regulations that are in place are 'impressive' If you want to import fish, have a chat with MAF, they'll be sure to give you all the info you could ever want.

[sharn]

importing for private ownership would cost extremely large amounts, thats why people do it large scale, so they can buy in bulk, get better deals and then sell them with a markup to LFS etc. if you want specifics imported in i would approach someone with a license and see if they can get them in for you

[Mooloo]

What is required to do so? A seller?, freight costs, maf and customs costs plus a quarintine facility?? or am i missing something. I have to say its something i am starting to think seriously about. Any thoughts?

[Faran]

MAF can give new importers a REALLY hard time about the inspections and run you out of business very quickly (bankruptcy from fees due to repetitive inspections) if they want to. It's a high risk investment as you never know what is going to happen with the many many many variables involved. You also have to build reputations with the exporters as they will tend to send you the lowest grades of fish in the beginning and you'll have high death rates which MAF will give you a hard time about.

If it's something you're seriously thinking about, go down to MAF and have a sit-down and ask them to explain all the fees involved. It'll make your head spin.

[Mooloo]

Whats to stop a person from going to one international forwarder, someone like Exel / DHL and get an all up cost including freight. Then the only costs to worry abouyt would be quarintine and inspections?

[dee_jay_01]

You still have to be licenced to import, they can give you the fees for transport and thats about all,

Friends of mine have been looking to import from NZ and other countries and decided not to, because of the rules and regulations, plus as they said above it is all bulk you can not import individual fish.

I would do as they say above and sit down with MAF I am not sure if they are the same as our AQIS (AUSTRALIAN QUARANTINE AND INSPECTION SERVICE) over here or not? but they can be extreamly harsh to new importers.

Here is a page from your MAF over there, stating the rules and regulations involved in Importing Ornamental Fish:

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/ ... ic.all.htm

This is a page from our AQIS staing what the rules and regulations are for us over here to Import Aquarium fish, It will be similar if not harsher in rules, the types of fish you can get to what we cant get will be different aswell:

http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_ca ... ID=1349504

Hope this info helps.

[reef_man]

so if i wanted to import lets say 50 Zebra Plecos from breeders, how many of you guys would be interestd in buying some?

[HandS]

i think alot will depend on price, $20.00 id be in, $600.00 No way, and im shure alot of ppl would be the same......

[malawi_man]

how about someone works for maf then goes to importing, who volunteers? AND you get to go to all the importers and check out their setups

[reef_man]

i would plan to breed them, and sell them at realtive prices to help me with the costs, who would by one at $250, not saying that would be the price but i would consider doing deals and trade as such. Also if someone could give me some ideas on importing costs?

[Luke*]

I'd buy one or two

[misnoma]

I'm just guessing here, but I think if all you wanted to import was 50 zebra plecs, and provide quarantine etc yourself, the price per plec would be far more than $600/fish. That's cost to you as well, not resale.

[rcon021]

fish are easily getting US$250+ and those are max 2 inches. then maybe wait for 2 years and then breed.

and for 50 you are looking at UD$12,500 easy, and thats just the fish. Then freight etc etc

I wana breed the easy thangs first like Ancistrus (already done) and they some 'cheaper' hypansistrus like L270 (will try soon) or L260(trying without success). I think go for the experiance and then go for gold.

[dee_jay_01]

Yep thats a nice price tag for 50 zebras. You are unable to quarantine Imported plecos yourself if I can remember correctly, MAF will have to kep them for atleast 1 week, then you still are not aloud to sell them for I think 1 month, this is going back awile now so it may have changed.

[reef_man]

yes they are $250 each but im not buying them from american pet shops, i am buying them from members of www.zebrapleco.com thay have some excellent breeders at cheap prices, i can get them way cheaper that $250

If maf keep them for a week wont they all die?

[rcon021]

i wan't saying a price or anythang it was just a wild quote

I dont know about the maf thang

[reef_man]

or mayby get 20, 50 mayby a little to many, that means 8 for sale, unless somepeople want more i can order them in for you along with my batch. (this wont be for a while thow)

[Mooloo]

mmm the ones on zebra pleco . com be lucky to get that many, there is a breeder selling some but they are young ones only, un-sexable and still not much less then $250.00 US fish, and yes i have spoken to them on the phone so as people say very expensive. Having said that.... .... i am also looking at it seriously.

[reef_man]

yes, ive contcted phillip (NZDiscus) and asked him about importing, but i am looking for a website that will let me buy them online? like the importers? and phillip (NZDiscu) also would this work in a 280 liter aquarium >

* Zebra Pleco (8)

* Discus (4)

year their is a huge market in them, and NZ doesnt have a supply as such for these fish!

[reef_man]

i meant 8 plecos (zebras) plus the extra i bring in for extra members. PM if your seriously interested in this, their will be some turm and conditions if you want one; i dont want someone asking for 6 then turns around and says NAh i dont want them!

[Modern Angl]

Even assuming you get the fish into the country, have you got enough to pay for quarantine? its usually 6 weeks and MAF charge you a packet for the privilige, also, while they are in quarantine, if any die, you don't get re inbursed.

I'm not trying to say, don't do it, but go and talk to MAF if you are serious and find out all the costs and permits you'll need before agreeing to get any fish from anyone outside the country. Yes, you could make money doing this, but you'll need a lot of investment and time to make it work, and there is no guarantee that it would work as NZDiscusman can testify too.

Good Luck if you do give it a go.

[Alan]

Here's a cost that I bet ya don't know about.

The cost of using a tank at the importers quarantine station.

I was quoted $800 per tank for killies that the NZKA were thinking of importing.

But that was the first quote, there may be more friendly importers that haven't got all their tanks in use.

Air Freight is the killer too.

Alan 104

[reef_man]

year does anyone have contact numbers for these Importers? id their any in the Waikato? also how would i make my own Quartine? could i set it up in the guarge?

[alanmin4304]

I was the last person in the South Island licenced to import goldfish and trust me, I did everything exactly right but after 7 inspections in 6 weeks (each by different people) and each at a cost of nearly as much as the 200 fish, they were becoming gold plated. I could not get any sense out of them over the next 4 years quarantene so I froze them into a large plastic bag and told the local manager to count them when they thawed out. I don't think you would want to go there. The importers are running a business and you would be better off making it worth their while to bring in what you want--- It would still be a lot cheaper.