Import Asian Arowana to UK, By Theo Wyne

Importing Asian Arowana to the United Kingdom - a Complicated Fish Tale

By Theo Wyne

Original to Aquarticles

Importing and exporting Asian arowana is accompanied by paperwork. Special CITES permits have to be applied for, both in the importing and exporting countries (for background on the process see the article Importing Arowana). Recently the wildlife authorities in the United Kingdom have gone one step further. They now require that a special permit - "an Article 10" - be applied for in order for a fish to change hands within the country. This "Big Brother for Fish" carries with it real consequences for anyone who does not follow the rules exactly. My friend HPLow in the United Kingdom unfortunately learned this the hard way. (For more information about HPLow and his Asian arowana collection read: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/people/HPLow.html)

No room for error in the CITES paperwork

The first sign that the British wildlife officials were out to change the rules governing the Asian arowana trade came in the beginning of 2007. Until that time, whenever a shipment of Asian arowana arrived in the UK, the fish would be processed as a group. In an abrupt change of practice the officials began hand scanning each fish to ensure that the CITES certificates matched up correctly. In the case of one shipment HP imported to the UK from Singapore, a CITES certificate for one high end Cross Back Gold arowana mistakenly had a "6" in place of a "9" in its serial number. The other dozen or so numbers in its serial number all matched up; it was only this one number that was off. In addition, all the other fish in the shipment had serial numbers that matched perfectly. The response of the British authorities? They seized the valuable fish missing the correct digit! Where the fish ended up is a mystery. Luckily for HP, the exporting company in Singapore agreed to cover the loss, since it was after all their error that led to the seizure. The fact that the British wildlife officials were inclined to be so inflexible in applying their rules, however, was just a taste of what was to come…

The need for an "Article 10"

Amongst Asian arowana keepers in the UK, there seems general ignorance about the need for an "Article 10" when buying or selling a fish within the country. Everyone knows that proper CITES permits are required to import or export a class 1 endangered species like the Asian arowana, but few know that paperwork is needed for the fish to legally change hands within the country too! Anyone who neglects to fill out the Article 10 form is breaking the law and risks forfeiting their fish to the government. The form itself is free, and there is no charge to file it. The annoyance is simply the hassle of having to fill out more forms and negotiate more bureaucracy. Judging from the number of Asian arowana one finds for sale privately in the UK on internet forums, its unlikely many people follow the formality of obtaining an Article 10. Even the UK pet stores that carry the fish seem ignorant of it.

It's thus easy to understand how a hobbyist like HP who imports a few fish each year to help offset his hobby costs could overlook the importance of having the Article 10 paperwork in order. Whether acting on a tip from a jealous competitor, or perhaps some bureaucratic vigilance, British wildlife officials recently raided HP's home due to his failure to have any Article 10 permits ready for his fish. The raid led to a mini media circus as the news leaked, first to the local UK papers, then the BBC, and finally to such a well-respected aquarium magazine as Practical Fishkeeping. While such a media response may be understandable, the fact the story was filled with factual errors is not. For whatever reason, the mistaken facts initially reported (see Operation Charm and Practical Fishkeeping) were the following:

The fish were not seized. The fish were not 18 inches long. The fish bred were not wild caught. And lastly, each fish was not worth 2000 pounds ($4000 US).

For the record, HP still has the fish and they measure 6 inches each. They were bred on a fish farm, were micro-chipped, and were imported legally from Singapore. The fish are all Red Tail Gold Asian arowana, and as such have a retail value far below 2000 pounds.

A photo of the fish in question is provided below:

hp 8.JPG (75406 bytes)

A tank of offending fish - they need an Article 10 to legally change hands within the UK

HP is currently waiting to find out the final status of his fish in the eyes of the British wildlife officials. The fact that the fish were imported legally and are farm bred should ensure he gets to keep them. In addition, the Article 10 in question is needed only to transfer the ownership of fish within the UK, not to simply hold them as an importer. Hopefully HP will be allowed to apply for the Article 10's needed to legally allow him to sell the fish within the UK.

HP's fish tale holds a cautionary note for fish keepers around the world, but especially for those in the UK. Before you decide to get yourself an Asian arowana make sure you have its residence permit (Article 10) or else you may find yourself in murky waters!

I promise to provide a follow up to this story in the months ahead.