Travelling, must collect seeds

[Patrina_Pepperina]

OK, I always try to keep my eyes open for seeds when I travel, and I managed to find a few interesting ones this trip. I visited Blatana in Dublin, and she offered me a few seeds from her box, so we packed and labelled them, and I made sure they had the botanical name on each packet ready for inspection when I arrived back in OZ.

Much to my amazement, they were all confiscated, except two lots in commercial packets! The conversation went something like this:

Custom's Officer: "It's not permitted to bring these into Australia!"

Me, looking confused: "They're OK"

CO: "What, you think you should be allowed to just bring anything you like into this country?"

Me: "Well, I know that tomato and pepper seeds are allowed, but I'm not sure about these two" as I indicated a packet of cress seeds and another of some fine looking leafy greens, both commercial packs from Germany that cost less than 50 cents a pack. "I've written their botanical names on the packets of home-collected seeds - that's the only requirement I'm aware of."

CO: "No, only commercially packed seeds are allowed - how do we know whether the seeds inside are what you say?"

Me, wide-eyed: "Don't you know what tomato and pepper seeds look like?"

CO, ignoring question: "You'd have to have them officially inspected and that would cost you hundreds of dollars!" (Talk about huge exaggeration!)

Me, patiently explaining: "I've received seeds many times from overseas in little packets just like these with their botanical names, and they have quarantine stickers saying that they passed inspection. I know the regulations."

CO: "The regulations state that only commercially packaged seeds are permitted."

Me: "Then how is it that I received envelopes of seeds many times that have passed through Quarantine with no problems?"

CO: "They probably didn't inspect them."

Me, insisting: "Yes, some of the packets had been opened and then taped shut again, and the package came to me with stickers saying that the contents had been inspected and had passed Quarantine."

CO, slightly less sure of himself: "I'll go and check with someone about this"

Meanwhile I took two packets of tea out of my rucksack, one of Rooibos tea with some berries (I forgot about berries not getting through!) and the other being Hemp tea (minus the hallucinogenic stuff and just a great herbal tea) and wondered how they would handle this latest offering

Back came the officer, looking pleased: "No I was right, only commercially packed seeds are allowed which have their botanical names on the packet!"

"OK" I said, thinking I'd just leave it at that, and said goodbye to some interesting seeds! One was a large Hungarian beefsteak, another was a fascinating sweet AND hot chilli pepper, and another pepper that was a small yellow that looked like a thai chilli, but not hot.

We moved on to the teas. I wasn't allowed to keep the Rooibos with berries, but could keep the Hemp tea because if was free of hallucinogens, although they said it was a first for them to see something like this. You can get amazing things in Germany!

Meanwhile, I'm busily pondering how to get seeds from Craig for the Dwarf Project now?!?! I'm thinking of doing some redesigning of my labels to make them seem more like commercial seeds, and maybe I'll need to send them over to Craig for the envelopes? Hmmmmm... lots to ponder!

Patrina

[natasha]

Gosh, Patrina,
do they inspect everybody's luggage like that?
I bring seeds from abroad to UK and package them just in my suitcase, I was always lucky I suppose.There are some regulations here but not as bad as that.

[bcday]

Wow, maybe you would have been better off mailing the seeds home!
That's too bad.

[chilhuacle]

Ouch, that hurts!


Next trip you’ll have to buy some hybrid seed, empty the contents, then reload with the good stuff. Mister customs man will be happy, and you’ll be happy.

Sounds like you could probably put watermelon seeds in a tomato packet and they would get through.

[Tomstrees]

Patrina,

Sounds like a very different experience than I had while flying within Greece and back to the states.

But yeah - store in luggage ... never in carry on ...

~ Tom

[Worth1]

Bruce and Tom beat me to it.

I will say this, if any one needs help/ideas in getting seeds into their country I will be glad to assist in any way I can.
(((((((((Tomato and vegetable seeds.)))))))))

I am a big fan of the "Purloined letter" by Edgar Allan Poe
-----------------Hide in plain site.-------------

Worth

[maryinoregon]

Wow Patrina! I'm sorry to read about this. Sounds like you need to carry a copy of the official regs whenever you travel. I do like the idea of hiding in plain site though.

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Thanks for the tips folks! Actually, I usually do post myself seeds, but I was so confident they'd be OK that I didn't bother this time I'm not at all confident about hiding them in my bags tho - they're incredibly thorough on this issue at the moment.

Bruce, I especially like your idea for the tomato seeds - I saw heaps of hybrid packs, hahaha....

PP

[Warren]

so why can't you bring seeds into the country? Are there bugs in/on the seeds?

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Originally Posted by Warren

so why can't you bring seeds into the country? Are there bugs in/on the seeds?

There can be diseases spread by seeds, but it's more that they are worried about unknown things coming into the country that might be weeds, things that can take over native species or spread like wild fire.

I guess they figure that commercially packaged seeds are more likely to be trusted than individuals, or maybe they can't be bothered inspecting every individual packet and so it's just easier to say that just commercial seeds are acceptable.

Some seeds can contain eggs of bugs, in bean seeds for example, which is why they aren't allowed. However, I heard they can be killed by freezing the seeds.

PP

[celticman]

My question what happens in OZ if you say write a letter/ email to the head of the custom's office or head of the local branch of custom with Names of Custom Officals and quotes form the offical regulations. No responce, tighter inspection the next ten time you travel, slapped wrist. It seems a shame to have to result to subterfuge to grow tomatoes and peppers.
Celtic