Collecting liverock

[crshnbrn]

I will be in st. lucia for 2 weeks i was curious is it illegal for me to collect loose pieces of live rock and take with me? Or perhaps to buy form locals? Also if anyone knows can i transport via airplane with me or can i mail it? Any help would be great. tia.. shawn


[mod] Merged with duplicate topic from getting started forum by BillyZ[/mod]

 

[reefrunner69]

Not sure where st. lucia is, so no way to know. The simplest thing for you to do would be to call the local govt. marine patrol etc..and ask. As for the airplane...call the airline and they can help you out, more than likely it will be fine so long as it is checked, but no way for me to be sure, haven't flown since 9/11 and all the airline restrictions.

 

[bosslady]

bringing live rock home

I went on a curise last year. We where not able to bring back anything like that. You are not allowed to bring sand, rock, or anytype of plant life home.

Jeanett

 

[BillyZ]

deffinetly if st lucia is out of the country (can you tell i flunked geogrophy?) you won't be able to bring anything back even if they do let you collect it. Customs will confiscate them and you will not get it back.

If it's not out of the country, and you are able to collect it, you'll need to take special care of it until you can get it home to keep it from dying. If at all possible, don't "collect" until the day you're going to leave.

 

[fishfreek]

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is the sort of island that travellers to the Caribbean dream about--a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and north of Barbados. St. Lucia is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, with a shape that is said to resemble either a mango or an avocado (depending on your taste). The Atlantic Ocean kisses its eastern shore, while the beaches of the west coast owe their beauty to the calm Caribbean Sea.

http://www.geographia.com/st-lucia/

I go with the others in saying its probably much more hassle than its worth. Expecially if St Lucia has no laws aganst it just getting it back thru customs can be an ordeal.

I would not bother with it.

 

[gbundersea]

Take a look at this link: http://www.slumaffe.org/Fisheries_Department/Fisheries_Regulations/fisheries_regulations.html

It states: It is illegal to take from Saint Lucia waters, sell, own, receive or buy any coral, sponges or marine algae.

That's pretty restrictive, so while it doesn't explicitly address live rock, I'd be willing to bet live rock is treated the same way. Collection of live rock carries heavy penalties in the US as well as most if not all of the Caribbean.
__________________

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[crshnbrn]

Thank you all for the great info. Im sure that gbundersea is correct. Just a thought i had. So i guess is there an online place that sells liverock and you have had good expereinces with as its like 14.99 a pound by me.

 

[gbundersea]

Gulf-View ROCKS!!!

Thank you all for the great info. Im sure that gbundersea is correct. Just a thought i had. So i guess is there an online place that sells liverock and you have had good expereinces with as its like 14.99 a pound by me.

I received 250 pounds of Gulf-View "base" rock on June 27, 2003. It was unbelieveable! I have posted a detailed account of my experience with it, along with pictures. Here are the links:

My detailed post on WetWeb
Pictures on WetWeb
Comments from another fellow who bought Gulf-View rock after reading of my experience

In short, I think Gulf-View's rock, prices, and service cannot be beat. Their seed rock was originally lace rock from the Bahamas, so it's lighter and more porous than other Florida aquacultured rocks. It's been down something like 13 years, so the life on it is truly amazing.

Feel free to email me for additional pictures or information.
__________________

Don't miss my Jensalt sump horror story site.

Also see how to cycle a new tank with household ammonia.
__________________

Greg Bunch
http://www.gbundersea.com
Home of the Digital Lens Dock, MXTENDER, Save-A-Lens Kit, and u/w photography

http://www.reefngom.org
Co-founder and fish ID instructor
REEF Field Station of the Northern Gulf of Mexico