TURBO SNAILS JUST BANNED

[clarionreef]

People,
I just spoke to agriculture officials.
They called us.
Turbo snails have just been banned in the process of banning freshwater mystery snails.
I asked if the difference was known between salt and freshwater and they said it made no difference.
There will be some protocols for the release of specially marked saltwater snails [ ie. all gastropods ] after a two day quarantine in the APHIS facilities [ with no water ]...
The snails will then be dead, they were informed to no comment.
We were told to get ready to not break the law in importing turbos, trochus, cateyes, nassarrius, conchs et al.
Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
Stay tuned...
Steve

 

[pyrrhus]

I truly hope that you are kidding about this. Where can I find more information on this topic? Is this isolated to California, or is it a federal thing?

 

[clarionreef]

ps
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS NAILED DOWN AND CONFIRMED BY OTHER DEALERS.
Surely the US AGRICULTURE DEPT DOESN'T PLAY PRACTICAL JOKES LIKE THIS, RIGHT?
Steve

 

[pyrrhus]

I have sent an email to Dr. Peter Merrill at the USDA APHIS VS National Center for Import and Export regarding this matter. Hopefully I will have more information soon.

 

[Anonymous]

This a U.S. issue or a CA only issue, Steve?

 

[Tropic]

About three days ago i was actually on the phone with my agriculture inspector and he asked if my snails coming in were of marine origin. I said yes and he said no problem. Maybe its a Cali thing.See ya
Eric

 

[Anonymous]

This a U.S. issue or a CA only issue, Steve?

US AG is federal Lee. If it were a state issue, it would be CA Ag

 

[Anonymous]

About three days ago i was actually on the phone with my agriculture inspector and he asked if my snails coming in were of marine origin. I said yes and he said no problem. Maybe its a Cali thing.See ya
Eric

imported, or collected in FLA?

 

[pyrrhus]

Here is the information Dr. Merrill sent to me. He also put in a call to PPQ and will probably hear back from them tomorrow.

June 2004

The Plant Protection Act of 2000 defines a plant pest as any living stage of any insects, mites, nematodes, slugs, snails, protozoa, or other invertebrate animals, bacteria, fungi, other parasitic plants or reproductive parts thereof, viruses or any organisms similar to, or allied with, any of the foregoing, or any infectious substances that can directly or indirectly injure or cause disease or damage in any plant or parts thereof, or any processed, manufactured, or other products of plants.

The following table summarizes the plant pest permit requirements and applies only to shipments within the United States. Imports of the listed organisms nearly always require a permit. Do not order or accept organisms from foreign sources without a permit. If an organism does not appear in the following table, contact USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine’s Pest Permit Evaluation staff at (877) 770–5990 for further guidance. Organisms that do not require a USDA permit may require a State permit from the local agriculture, fish and wildlife, or environmental agency. Additionally, the State agencies may have supplemental permit requirements.

USDA Permit Requirments for Domestic Movement of Organisms

Permit Required///////////////////////Permit not Required
///////////////////Insects
Ants ////////////////////////////////Aquatic Insects (most)
Beetles (including meal worms) ////////////////Dragonflies
Butterflies1 ///////////////////////Drosophila Flies
Cockroaches ////////////////////////House Flies
Crickets ////////////////////////Honey Bees
Grasshoppers ///////////////////Parasites (e.g., jewel wasps)
Milkweed Bugs /////////////////////Predators (e.g., ladybeetles)
Moths ////////////////////////////////Mosquitoes
Termites /////////////////////////////Wax Worms
Walkingsticks //////////////////////////Praying Mantids
///////////////////////Other Invertebrates
Millipedes //////////////////////////Centipedes, Scorpions, Vinegaroons
Pill Bugs (sow bugs) /////////////////Crustaceans
Aquatic Snails (most) //////////////////Earthworms
Terrestrial Snails (all)2 /////////////Marine Invertebrates

 

[Anonymous]

This a U.S. issue or a CA only issue, Steve?

US AG is federal Lee. If it were a state issue, it would be CA Ag

I missed the US thing in Steve's second (all caps) post. Me weary eyes have failed me yet again.

Thanks for the help there ya wippersnapper. :lol:

 

[clarionreef]

The Ag officer on the phone said that even 'internet shippers' were contacted.
I know this sounds cryptic but its phone info. No, we didn't tape it.
Florida dealers must have a special permit as well.

The scariest thing is the question of impoundment for quarantine.
If they are capable of reason, then allowing the gastropods to be held on premises in wholesalers tanks would be a good way to apologize for the inconvenience created by their oversight.
You would have thought that someone in the review process with all the ex'purts and egg-heads they can call upon that someone would've pointed out the irrelevance of saltwater snails to the rice crop pest issues.

More likely is that the oversight was made...and instead of a correction of it which may bruise some egos, they'll just let the damage, inconvenience and losses to us stand.
This is the kind of arrogance that gives government work a bad name.
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422 ... 6-3297.htm

[Federal Register: April 5, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 65)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 16973-16975]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ap06-1]


========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.

========================================================================



[[Page 16973]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 330

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0051]


Aquatic Snails; Permit Requirements for Importation and
Interstate Movement

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Policy statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document gives notice that we intend to begin
consistently and routinely requiring that a permit must accompany all
aquatic snails that are imported into the United States or that are
moving interstate. We also intend to consistently require that
shipments of aquatic snails, as with all other plant pests imported
under permit, be subject to inspection and to begin routinely and
consistently inspecting shipments of aquatic supplies or plants that
may contain aquatic snails. This action is necessary in order to
prevent the importation or interstate movement of certain species of
aquatic snails which, if released into the environment, can become
destructive agricultural pests.

DATES: Effective Date: April 5, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding import
permits, contact Dr. Michael J. Firko, Director of Permits,
Registration, and Imports, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8758. For information concerning
inspection of commodities, contact Mr. William Thomas, Director,
Quarantine Policy, Analysis and Support, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road
Unit 60, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5214.

 

[Anonymous]

This a U.S. issue or a CA only issue, Steve?

US AG is federal Lee. If it were a state issue, it would be CA Ag

I missed the US thing in Steve's second (all caps) post. Me weary eyes have failed me yet again.

Thanks for the help there ya wippersnapper. :lol:

Yah, the blinding all caps is hard to read. I would have just gone with a larger font, or plain old bolding to make my point

wippersnapper ain't so bad, it's sport I hate :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

seven ephors wrote:
What is the rationale for banning it?
What kind of risk?

Bottom line, protection of the freshwater rice fields. You know, the ones we in Cali have growing in the desert mainly. One huge reason why the salmon runs are so wacked (diverted water flow/dams=siltation,warmer water, etc).

Kill the salmon, ban all aquatic snails, Protect the desert rice fields!!!!

 

[clarionreef]

Posted: 24 Apr 2006 22:00 Post subject: sanctions

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We further intend to begin consistently and routinely enforcing the
regulations to require that a permit accompany all aquatic snails
moving into or through the country and will increase the level of
inspection of shipments of aquarium supplies and plants offered for
entry into the United States to look for evidence of aquatic snails. We
are issuing this policy statement to ensure that affected importers,
shippers, and members of the public are made aware of these
requirements. Any shipment found to contain aquatic snails for which a
permit has not been issued will be confiscated and the importer of said snails shot."

Chief Information officer
National Snail police

 

[Anonymous]

wippersnapper ain't so bad, it's sport I hate :lol:

Don't you have to use a Thurston Howell the Third accent to call someone "sport"?

 

[Anonymous]

wippersnapper ain't so bad, it's sport I hate :lol:

Don't you have to use a Thurston Howell the Third accent to call someone "sport"?

Yup, that's why it's so agrivating when an American does it to me My british uncle in law called me that, once.....

 

[Anonymous]

i think it was fairly sporting of him to do so, you whippersnapper, you

 

[sdcfish]

We started having problems with delayed inspections pertaining to snails over a year or longer in the past. Since then, inspections have not been any worse for the wear and we have not had any problems recently.

I spoke with our customs broker who just rang up the inspection officer from US Fish and WL and there is NO problem with Marine snails. Only Fresh Water snails will be a "no-no".

This is a good "heads-up" on the hotline!

Regards,

Eric

 

[Anonymous]

So are all freshwater snails banned now?