Dear George,

        I can't really explain about U.S. Fish and Game, because I have
never been able to figure out how they operate either.  All I can say is
that similar things have happened to me, very sporadically and without any
rational reason that I can see. I receive many parcels of shells from all
over the world, and nearly always they come through with no problems. But
every once in a while, for no apparent reason, USFG jumps in and makes life
miserable.  Once they held up a shipment on the west coast, and said I had
to send $50 for a wildlife importers license.  The other three times they
harrassed me all involved the New York facility.  Most recently, about a
year and a half ago, they held up a shipment from Haiti.  It was in their
possession for almost two months while they had me fill out all kinds of
forms and declarations by mail. Finally they released the shipment, but told
me I would have to pay per diem storage fees for the time they held the
shipment, AND they could not forward the boxes to me - I would have to go to
New York and pick them up myself!  The storage fees came to more than the
value of the shipment, which would have more than doubled my cost, not even
counting the cost of driving down there and back.  So, I ended up abandoning
the shipment (they would not return it to the sender either).  Abandoned
shipments get auctioned off at periodic auctions.  I hope your shells fare
better than mine did in the hands of U.S. bereaucracy.  I have never been
able to figure out why this happens in such a seemingly random fashion.
Also, I am amazed, and somewhat disturbed to see that this happened to you
with a FedEx shipment!  I have never had a problem with FedEx shipments, and
have even advised a number of people that shipping by FedEx is the best way
to avoid such problems!  My problems have always been with shipments by
ordinary air cargo, or surface mail.  At least with FedEx, you might
hopefully have another advocate, as I am sure they don't want such hassles
with their shipments, and presumably know how to deal with them.

        Regards,
        Paul