USA collection import regulations

[Doug Yanega]

>Please email me privately and I will forward the information.
>
>Thanks a million,
>
>Rob Hilton
>robert at csa.com
>Bethesda, MD
>
>>>>>
>I have tried talking to people at the Embassy here, but have not had too
>much luck.  I will be bringing back my bug collection with me, but I am
>having trouble finding out about paper work required from the [USA
>government].  For the Fish and Wildlife Service, I have a "Declaration for
>importation of Fish and Wildlife" form.  Is that all I need to bring in my
>bugs (dead, of course).  As for APHIS, PPQ, the embassy guy told me all I
>need to do is write them a letter telling me I am bringing in dead bugs,
>when and where.  I can not believe that is all there is to it.

Actually, that pretty much *IS* all there is to it on this end - USFWS Form
3-177 is the only formal paperwork for non-commercial stuff, and notifying
APHIS is just to be on the safe side. Generally speaking, the only place
where having that collection is likely to cause problems is in Customs, and
the only complication would be if he goes through customs somewhere OTHER
than the US before he eventually arrives.

Peace,

Doug Yanega    Depto. de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Univ. Fed. de Minas Gerais, Cx.P. 486, 30.161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG   BRAZIL
phone: 31-499-2579, fax: 31-499-2567  (from U.S., prefix 011-55)
                  http://www.icb.ufmg.br/~dyanega/
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82