>Welcome to the arbitrary world of the US Fish & Game Department.  Not only
>can they stop and inspect such packages, they then charge the person
>receiving the package an "inspection" fee (usually between $25 to $55, but
>it can be more and is imposed even if the package is confiscated or lost).
>This is an interesting fee as these agents are government employees paid for
>this service, working in government facilities built for this purpose...  I
>am sure they are over-worked and under-paid, but they are also funded for
>the very thing for which they then charge extra.  Proper and complete
>customs forms do not prevent any of this action.

I have run afoul of a somewhat similar program in NZ... where the
Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries will sometimes open parcels to
see if undesirable biologicals are present. If so they will
"fumigate" the contents for a charge. But they don't charge if they
can't find anything they don't like.

Undesirables so far that my parcels have been held-up for are insect
parts and bad smell (an uncleaned giant 49mm Melanella candida).
Parcels won't be confiscated, but there is a no-charge option to have
the parcel destroyed.

If they DO find something they may charge an "inspection fee" as well
as fumigation.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
‚ Opinions stated are mine, not of the University of Otago
"There is water at the bottom of the ocean"  - Talking Heads

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------