[PCA] QUESTION: Destruction of Seeds (fwd)

[Plant Conservation]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:39:29 -0000
From: Michael Way <M.Way at rbgkew.org.uk>
To: Plant Conservation <plant at plantconservation.org>
Subject: Re: [PCA] QUESTION: Destruction of Seeds (fwd)

To add a European perspective to the discussion about the
destroyed Pritchardia seeds: In addition to any Hawaii-specific
regulations, and any CITES restrictions (which to my knowledge do
not apply to this species)  it is clearly understood by most
professional botanists here that a yellow-green USDA plant heath
label is required for shipments of live plant material into the US.
	Anyone shipping material without all the required
paperwork, including plant health permits, is risking confiscation
and destruction of the material, so we pay close attention to the
requirements.  In my experience, once material has been shipped
across borders without correct paperwork, it can be extremely time-
comsuming to try to return it.
	My seed bank colleagues who have purchased some
research material from the same source recommend that
prospective recipients take responsibility to ensure that all the
paperwork is in place before such seeds are shipped.
I hope that this is useful,
Michael Way
MILLENNIUM SEED BANK PROJECT

Michael Way, BSc. MIEEM
Americas Co-ordinator, Seed Conservation Department
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, Haywards Heath
West Sussex, RH17 6TN, UK
Tel direct: +44(0)1444-894106
Fax direct: +44(0)1444-894110
Email: m.way at rbgkew.org.uk
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/msbp/index.html