# orchid gifts seized by customs officials at perth airport



## s1214215 (Sep 19, 2012)

http://www.news.com.au/national/orc...at-perth-airport/story-fndo4e3y-1226476757796

Hmmmm... Amazing he made it out of the country.oke:


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## mormodes (Sep 19, 2012)

s1214215 said:


> http://www.news.com.au/national/orc...at-perth-airport/story-fndo4e3y-1226476757796
> 
> Hmmmm... Amazing he made it out of the country.oke:



OMG, could that have been Xavier (Roth)? Someone named Xavier was on the schedule of speakers. http://www.waorchids.iinet.net.au/Lecture_Program.htm


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## NYEric (Sep 19, 2012)

"What!? Permits? I don't need no stinking permits!!" :evil:


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## Roth (Sep 19, 2012)

s1214215 said:


> http://www.news.com.au/national/orc...at-perth-airport/story-fndo4e3y-1226476757796
> 
> Hmmmm... Amazing he made it out of the country.oke:



Indeed, because there has been a fucking informant that reported apparently a lot of **** to try to set me up, but that's not what happened, look at the real thing:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27065

So to 'make it out of the country' was easy, because in fact there was no real offense or criminal action at all, at any time. I did not get a single dollar of fine too.

The customs even rebooked my flight, and I have nothing to complain about them. Only that press report, but this will end up with a libel suit that will be quite easy to win...

By the way Brett I posted it well before you because I think that's one of the craziest stories ever seen.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 19, 2012)

I saw this posted on the Orchid Guide Digest this morning, and wondered if it was Roth. I suppose the OGD will keep us informed as to how this all plays out, as just about everything orchid that's posted on the internet eventually gets posted on the Digest.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Sep 21, 2012)

s1214215 said:


> Hmmmm... Amazing he made it out of the country.oke:



Why? Does he need a CITES permit as well? :rollhappy: He does seem to be a rare, endangered species...


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## quietaustralian (Oct 8, 2012)

Early this year, I was returning to Vietnam and had 6 Macadamia nut tree seedlings with me. Just prior to boarding the plane, I was asked by customs to open my bags where they found the seedlings. I was asked for my plant import permit from the authorities in Vietnam. I said, I don't have or need one but to make a long story short, It seems that Vietnam has created new requirements that they don't seem to enforce but Australian customs do enforce. What was the outcome? I gave some culture advice to the officers and wished them luck with their new trees. 

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has been advised that an import permit is required for all plant and plant product imports into Vietnam.

To avoid delays in the clearance of plant and plant product consignments exported from Australia, it is recommended that exporters obtain a copy of a valid import permit.

From the 1 April 2012, an officially translated copy of the import permit or evidence in writing issued by the Vietnam National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) that an import permit is not required for the particular commodity, will be mandatory and must be presented to the DAFF Biosecurity inspector at the time of inspection. An inspection will not proceed if a copy of one of these documents is not presented. http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/export/plants-plant-products/ian/12/2012-11


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## Roth (Oct 8, 2012)

quietaustralian said:


> Early this year, I was returning to Vietnam and had 6 Macadamia nut tree seedlings with me. Just prior to boarding the plane, I was asked by customs to open my bags where them found the seedlings. I was asked for my plant import permit from the authorities in Vietnam. I said, I don't have or need one but to make a long story short, It seems that Vietnam has created new requirements that they don't seem to enforce but Australian customs do enforce. What was the outcome? I gave some culture advice to the officers and wished them luck with their new trees.
> 
> The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has been advised that an import permit is required for all plant and plant product imports into Vietnam.
> 
> ...



Well, never heard of that one... but anyway Australia loves to enforce the regulations up to the end, which will, for sure, collapse their already ailing orchid industry ( and even landscape plant industry). 

To import to Europe, the published regulations requires :
- Additional declarations
- and a 3 month export quarantine, with monthly inspection, to prove that the plants are free of some pests.

In practice, Australia cannot export to Europe, too costly ( it is a few dozen AUD/hour of inspection, and only few plants per hour, I made once the calculation, and the cost added is over AUD15/plant for the export phyto...). Most other countries, including Taiwan ( clever enough to ask for a derogation too) export freely, and have good income out of plant trade...


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## quietaustralian (Oct 8, 2012)

Roth said:


> Well, never heard of that one... but anyway Australia loves to enforce the regulations up to the end, which will, for sure, collapse their already ailing orchid industry ( and even landscape plant industry).
> 
> To import to Europe, the published regulations requires :
> - Additional declarations
> ...



Well, I hadn't heard about it either and I'm sure that almost nobody in border protection in Vietnam knows about it!


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## Dido (Oct 8, 2012)

A friend of me checked to export to Australia. 

He told me that he would ned a quarantiane like you described it, and not other plants would be allowed around some meters. 

So this is not possible. 

He exports to all over the world, and so he told me its not a problem to forget about australia, to much cost for only a few things. 
He would liek to import some of the dendro crosses, but he could not sell the plants here for this prices, and ofcourse he has to earn something too..


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## cnycharles (Oct 8, 2012)

someone just wants to create some bureaucratic positions and feel important. they would make more money with trade than they would with trying to force people to buy permits and rent space in a quarantine facility

actually, I just remembered the early european settler history was of prisoners sent to the island; sounds again like prison walls are being erected, where nothing plantlike can get in or out!


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