I'm glad the live stocks were donated for education or whatever he wants it to be. Here is my take on this, the smugglers smuggled something in and get busted. The Custom Team destroyed the smuggled product. Can somebody explain the picture of how is this saving the environment when in the end the live stock get killed?
I love black market smugglers!
- Thread starter Zoodiver
- Start date
Yeah, I should have clarified for those who don't know me. It's not my own personal tank. We have it all at work. I would never take something like this for personal gain. That wouldn't be legal either. We hold them for USFW until the court date, at which point USFW decides if we keep it or if it goes somewhere else that is allowed to have things that get snagged. It's rare any animal gets destroyed by customs/USFW in situations like this. Usually that's just rumors floating around.
It was illegal because it was coming into the US unlabled without valid permits to bring it in. Something to be aware of... just because the animal/coral itself isn't protected doesn't mean you can just ship it into the country without permits. This was all farm raised coral heading to the pet trade. To the average person it would seem like a good thing. If you do the right thing in the wrong way, it's still wrong.
It was illegal because it was coming into the US unlabled without valid permits to bring it in. Something to be aware of... just because the animal/coral itself isn't protected doesn't mean you can just ship it into the country without permits. This was all farm raised coral heading to the pet trade. To the average person it would seem like a good thing. If you do the right thing in the wrong way, it's still wrong.
I don't see anything illegal out of those coral. Montis and gonioporas are sold in a lot of LFS.
Good pick up either way..
stan
Good pick up either way..
stan
sounds like they just busted a average guy trying to make a living, not a "smuggler" just someone who didnt know he needed permits.Zoodiver;3546139; said:
kinda makes me think the USFW is the bad guy. they couldnt just let him bring in perfectly legal animals with a fine for his forgetfulness, they had to confiscate them all probably to the detriment of the live stock.
i hope after the guy pays his fine, he is reimbursed for any lose of livestock that happened from this.
edit: is the holding tank even equiped for the coral? proper lighting? filtration? macroelements?
sostoudt;3546596; said:
Bringing in animals illegally is the definition of smuggling... is it not? If not, then don't drug dealers become "average guys trying to make a living" as well? He doesn't get them back. It's how the law works. He'll be lucky to get just a fine. I've been in court cases that have sent people to jail for this kind of thing.
Usually we Wildlife grabs stuff, it's in such crap condition that nothing can bring it back due to how it was packaged to ship. This load was in great shape, and is doing even better now that it's out in a tank.
The tank is very well set up for supporting the load. We've got unlimited water supply for water changes and top notch life support running.
so its basically just legal theft then.Zoodiver;3547267; said:
btw some people would say drug dealers a just guys trying to make a living, however the key difference is the dealers know they doing a illegal activity, where as some one importing livestock may not. i view smugglers as someone intentionally ignoring laws, not people that are just ignorant of the laws. smugglers would attempt to hide the item, where some ignorant would transport it regularily.
it makes no sense to smuggle legal goods from a legal source into a country,
i doubt the tax on live goods is high enough to warrant that behavior. so this is more likely just someone that didnt know.
if this was just a honest mistake, you should probably feel bad for being a accomplish to the the theft.
sostoudt;3547830; said:so its basically just legal theft then.
btw some people would say drug dealers a just guys trying to make a living, however the key difference is the dealers know they doing a illegal activity, where as some one importing livestock may not. i view smugglers as someone intentionally ignoring laws, not people that are just ignorant of the laws. smugglers would attempt to hide the item, where some ignorant would transport it regularily.
it makes no sense to smuggle legal goods from a legal source into a country,
i doubt the tax on live goods is high enough to warrant that behavior. so this is more likely just someone that didnt know.
if this was just a honest mistake, you should probably feel bad for being a accomplish to the the theft.
So you would rather these corals be destroyed then put on public display? Ignorance is not an excuses, just because the guy did not know you think he should be able to keep the corals.
