From a dealer:

Regarding your permit concerning export permits, the situatio in
Australia is currently this:

1) Anybody can collect shells in Australia, except for in National
Parks and Reserve areas.

2) Anybody can take foreign shells (i. e. shells not from Australia)
out of the country without export permit.

3) Export permits are not required for dead collected or beached material.

This generally covers the majority of seashell material that tourists
will collect in Australia - which is why customs generally ignore
small amounts of shells in people's luggage.
If however a large quantity of shells are being exported - or if the
shells are obviously live taken (i. e. with opercs or still smelly),
then an export permit can easily be obtained from most reasonable
shell dealers (if they have an export authority) who could issue a
permit on the spot. Any Australian dealer or club who has an export
authority can at their discretion supply an export permit for their
shells.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<[log in to unmask]>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut
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I want your sinistral gastropods!
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Opinions in thie e-mail are mine, not those of my institution
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