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Discuss any carnivorous plant that doesn't fit in the above categories here or general chat about carnivorous plants

Moderator: Matt

By Grey
Posts:  3255
Joined:  Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:48 pm
#82754
Hello community,

A while ago me and a small group of others were trying to understand permits and how on Earth they worked. I’ve done some research and wanted to share with everyone what I’ve discovered.

Please note the following information is simply a novice’s research and you should double check everything before considering the use of permits. The laws relating to the importation and exportation of plants are subject to change at any time, and I will update any information in accordance with this should I discover the laws have indeed changed.

Permits are required for a variety of goods however for relevance’s sake I’m only going to discuss their use with carnivorous plants.
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What are permits?
Permits are documents that allow you to import or export a specific carnivorous plant species from one country to another.

Why are they needed?
From what I’ve read I believe certain permits are required in order to prevent the spread of viruses, parasites and diseases. Carnivorous plants can become infected and infested, and so to prevent this spreading a plant needs a quarantine permit.

If an infected or infested plant enters another country, it could spread the virus/parasites/disease to other flora and that in turn could spread further until there is quite a serious problem.

Permits are used to ensure the safety of a specific genus and to ensure its survival.

When are they needed?
Not all importations or exportations from one country to another need permits. The export/import paths that I am aware of that require permits are as follows:

European Union exporting to any other country
United States exporting to any other country
Canada exporting to any other country (except the USA for most species)

European Union importing from any other country
United States importing from any other country
Canada importing from any other country (except the USA for most species)

PPQ 587
For those from the United States, there is a permit known as PPQ 587, you can read about it here. Huge thanks to
RL7836 for pointing this thread out!
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The Two Main Permits
There are two permits that seem critical to the importation of carnivorous plants; these are the CITES Export Permit and the Phytosanitary Certificate.

CITES Export Permit
You can find a fascinating website on CITES here. This is where I’ve done some of my research.

What does CITES mean?
CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

What is a CITES Permit?
A CITES permit is an international agreement between governments. It’s used to make sure that any endangered species of plants or animals that is traded in any way is not detrimental to the species’ survival.

When will I need a CITES Permit?
You will need a CITES Permit when you import a carnivorous plant from outside of the European Union or the United States; you will also need a CITES permit if you are in the European Union and importing from the United States, and vise versa.

How many CITES Permits do I need?
You need one CITES Permit per genus you are choosing to import. A genus is a group of species that share the same characteristics. Not all genuses require a permit.

Which carnivorous plant genuses are listed under CITES?
Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Dionaea and Cephalotus.

How much will a CITES Permit cost?
I think it varies on country. You can buy them from the Little Shop of Horrors for £59 each if you're in the EU.
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Phytosanitary Certificate
I can’t really give you any direct links to websites explaining Phytosanitary Certificates in great detail. All I can recommend is doing a google search and hope you get lucky with a website that isn’t full of confusing technical jargon. I’ll offer you what information I can, though.

What is a Phytosanitary Certificate?
“A document required to accompany the movement of certain plants and plant products when imported from or exported to countries outwith the EU, certifying that they are free of specified quarantine pests and RNQPs.” Quote taken from this website.

Simply speaking, it confirms the plants your importing are free of parasites, diseases, viruses, fungi and other microbe infestations. This keeps local flora and fauna safe from ecological catastrophe.

When will I need a Phytosanitary Certificate?
You need a Phytosanitary Certificate whenever you choose to import carnivorous plants.

How many Phytosanitary Certificates will I need?
You will only need one Phytosanitary Certificate per importation.

How much will a Phytosanitary Certificate cost?
Going by the Little Shop of Horror’s price, in the UK a Phytosanitary Certificate will cost £25.
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I wish I could offer you all more information. I will update this post as I learn more myself, but please feel free to add anything you feel I've missed. Perhaps together we'll figure this "mystery" out and find an easy way to explain this seemingly complex system!
Grey, Grey, Grey and 5 others liked this
By dantt99
Posts:  5045
Joined:  Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:48 am
#82939
I'm glad you put the link up too! I bookmarked it for further reference :D! Thanks :).
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