Collecting macroalgae in Hawaii and the Caribbean

[trilinearmipmap]

Next month I will be on Oahu and then in the Caribbean.

I have started a macroalgae tank in preparation for my seahorse tank.

I am thinking of collecting some macroalgae.

Does anyone know the legalities of importing macroalgae.

I am assuming since these are tropical macroalgae they pose no threat to our temperate ocean environment so there shouldn't be an issue that way.

I am also wondering where to look for macroalgae.

I thought maybe near areas where a river enters the sea for more nutrients.

If anyone knows any of the answers to the above please let me know.

[pat]

i dont think you will be able to transport anything out without a permite.
Try mailling it out too someone back home during your vacation?dont even know if that would work.

[AndyL]

In theory, you'll need a phytosanitary certificate... But i've heard rumors of people just carrying it back in a ziplock too. However that would be rather illegal, dunno what kind of penalties youd face other than "we're keeping this".

[Shipwreck]

When I was in Maui I talked to one of the locals and he told me that collecting fish/plants was legal for them without permits. However bringing it into canada would require a cities permit or at least inspection by the food & drug department. I personally didn't find anything that was worth bringing back in the way of algaes. There was one small spot of mangroves but they had already dropped and werent' in good shape.

A couple of guys here have ordered sea grasses through florida farms I believe with good sucess. Or talk to the LFS as they should get little chunks of algaes on the corals/rock they bring in.

[Diana]

As far as I know it is illegal to remove anything from the islands, especially anything living. Add extra trouble if you want to try to bring it into Canada.

But besides all that- I agree with Shipwreck that there isnt much in the way of nice looking macroalgae to bring back. Actually a lot of stuff you find in Hawaii now is considered nuisance and forgien. There are organized cleanups to remove macroalgae from beaches, so I doubt anyone would have a problem with you harvesting it. Its just the trouble of removing it from Hawaii.

I'm not sure about the Caribbean, but I imagine you'll run into problems trying to bring it across the border. You'd be suprised how resilient macroalgae can be.

-Diana

[AndyL]

Wouldn't be a CITES permit required... CITES is "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora"

While there may be some macro algaes that are endangered - haven't checked the list - but I doubt they are suffering the way many corals/animals are.

However any living fauna (excluding seed I believe) that crosses the border needs to be accompanied by what is called a Phytosanitary certificate. Its part of another treaty canada is member to - believe it's a WTO certification. Basically it's simply a botanist/etc signing off on the plant as being free of pests/parasites - usually done by a local greenhouse or similar. However the number of facilities able to provide this service is extremely limited, and many refuse to certify anything that they haven't grown/produced.

HTH,

Andy

[EmilyB]

Don't do it, you might well pull up a tiny piece of rubble...and get the Pele curse....:surprise: :lol:

[Samw]

I came back from Maui last week. Bought 1/4lbs of fresh ogo seaweed (Gracilaria pacifica) from Safeway and declared it at Canada customs on the way back. They checked with the guy from Agriculture and then told me there was no restriction on it and let me through. Most of the algae was for someone else and I kept 5% of it for my sump. It is still alive.

Here's an interesting link in case you are collecting it instead of buying it.

http://www.iyor-hawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/enforcement_booklet_final.pdf

"Limu (ogo): bag limit of one pound per day for personal consumption; prohibited to take with the holdfast (the part attaching to a rock or other surface), or to take when covered with reproductive nodes or bumps."

I'm not saying go ahead and do it. I'm just reporting what happened to me at customs with my purchased seaweed.