deliberate introductions

[John Grehan]

Just for general interest I can describe an example of restrictions
involved with
importation of live larvae and pupae in a country outside the US.
I needed to import larvae of some wood boring moths into New Zealand.
The larvae required live callus tissue as their normal diet, and I was
to rear them on artificial diet (not designed for these insects, but
hopefully sufficient to rear near mature larvae).
 
The permiting process required that I keep them in a sealed, locked room
with no direct access (such as windows) to the outside. Each larva was
to be kept separate. Each specimen had to be accounted for. The
storage area was inspected by the authorities. I had to justify the
need to import the specimens and present an argument on the
improbability (not as a quantified prediction) of their escape and
establishment.
 
I don't know whether some on this list would consider New Zealand
to be fascist for this kind of policy, but it seemed a reasonble
precaution. Like the US, there has been a lot of damaging introductions.
Whether any insect introductions resulted from enthusiasts I could not
say, but at least some other plant and animal pests entered that way.
 
John Grehan