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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hi Alastair,</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">this is not good news, hopefully this was just a misunderstanding. It might be worth keeping in mind that IATA Special Provision A180 explicitly refers to preserved scientific material, and that FedEx - as an airline - fully agrees
and has to comply with these IATA regulations, unless the specific airline variations. Which doesn't seem to be the case (at least not in the 2021 version that FedEx has online).</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/DG_IATA_Variations_2021.pdf">https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/DG_IATA_Variations_2021.pdf</a></div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">If necessary, you could ask for the current IATA FedEx variations to challenge FedEx Australia if they would have divergent views why they think it was okay to return the shipment.</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">It might be worth though to avoid the word 'fish' in the first mentioning of the included goods and sepcifically in the 'description of goods field' and better say 'preserved museum specimens' instead.</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">'Marine fish' can cause all sorts of wrong interpretations, there are entire chapters in the Harmonised Customs Tariff system referring to fresh, processed or otherwise preserved fish for human consumption or as animal-by-products.
The terms 'freshwater fish' or 'marine fish', but also marine/freshwater invertebrates can raise red flags as there are many transmissible diseases that can be carried from 'fish' or 'invertebrates'. Crayfish plague for example was transmitted via thawing
water from frozen crayfish imports.</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hope this helps - and thanks for posting this, Alastair!</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">With best wishes</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dirk</div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 17.09.2025 um 07:11 schrieb Graham, Alastair (NCMI, Hobart):</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:SY5P282MB4973BDE4640A23237D0A29DC8B17A@SY5P282MB4973.AUSP282.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM">
<div><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;">
<div style="padding-right:5pt;padding-left:5pt;"><font color="red">OFFICIAL<br>
</font></div>
<div style="margin-top:5pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><br>
</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">G’day</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">I have recently had a parcel returned to me by FedEx. Their reason being dead preserved natural history specimens are a prohibited item in their freight network. This is according to their SRG
Prohibited items list.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">I have used FedEx for over 12 years for loan shipments. I have asked FedEx what has changed. Apparently FedEx in Australia is using an AI system to check consignment documents and the system read
‘fish’ in my documents lodged with the parcel and flagged my parcel as prohibited in their network.
</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">I have spoken to and emailed FedEx a number of times. I have explained that:</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<ul style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
<font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">
<li>The specimens are preserved according to standard natural history museum procedures. The fish were originally fixed in 10% formalin. Then transferred to 70% ethanol for long-term storage.
</li><li>For transport, they have been wrapped in muslin cloth moistened with only a small quantity of 70% ethanol and sealed inside three plastic bags with absorbent material. The specimens and their packing comply with Special Provision A180 of the IATA regulations
on the air transport of Dangerous Goods. </li><li>I use Harmonized System Tariff code 9705.00.00 (or 9705.29.00.00 or 9705.29.00.90, depending on which code is accepted by the freight company’s systems and the receiving country) on the documentation.
</span></font></li><li><font face="Arial" size="2">The description of the contents I use is “Preserved marine fish specimens for scientific study only. Not restricted under Special Provision A180 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Non-hazardous, not for human consumption.
No commercial value. Please refer to the attached documents for additional details.”</font>
</li></ul>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Additionally, I have explained that the specimens are not perishable. Thus, they do not require refrigeration or other environmental control. I have also said that natural history museums everywhere
send their specimens as per the above.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">I am still waiting for an explanation from FedEx. However, I am absolutely certain there is a misunderstanding by FedEx. Unless, something has changed and FedEx will no longer accept natural history
specimens.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Have you encountered the same problem with FedEx?</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Cheers</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Al</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1" color="#0099CC"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><b>Alastair (Al) Graham<br>
</b><font color="black">Fish Collection Manager<br>
Australian National Fish Collection </font></span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:8pt;">National Research Collections Australia<br>
CSIRO <font color="#26282A">National Collections and Marine Infrastructure</font></span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:8pt;">P: +61 3 6232 5351<font color="#BED600"><b> | </b></font>M: +61 (0) 419 756 411 <font color="#BED600"><b>|</b></font> F: +61 3 6232 5000</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><a href="mailto:alastair.graham@csiro.au" moz-do-not-send="true"><font face="Arial" size="1" color="blue"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><u>alastair.graham@csiro.au</u></span></font></a><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> </span></font><font face="Arial" size="1" color="#BED600"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><b>|</b></span></font><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> </span></font><a href="http://www.csiro.au/" moz-do-not-send="true"><font face="Arial" size="1" color="blue"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><u>www.csiro.au</u></span></font></a><font face="Arial" size="1" color="blue"><span style="font-size:8pt;">
</span></font></span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1" color="blue"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><br>
<font color="#26282A">Address: 3 Castray Esplanade, Hobart Tas 7000, Australia</font></span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="1" color="#26282A"><span style="font-size:8pt;">Post: GPO Box 1538, Hobart Tas 7001, Australia</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2" color="#26282A"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Aptos" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></font></div>
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