Sucess - Live Hawaiian Souvenirs - 6 new fish

Just got off the phone with Honolulu TSA office and i should be fine bringing them home as carry on baggage. Yay! If they give me grief there i)l do whatever it takes to get them on with me. Because anyone w/half a brain knows that were the liquid said live fish were in was anything toxic the the fish wouldnt be alive for long.

 

Exactly the same point this guy tried to use with the TSA agent. Didn't work.

 

I shall try my luck, since of the location I'm sure i won't be the first to do so.

 

I sear i saw an article that started there is a TSA ruling you can print off saying an alive fish in water is ok. Calling ahead and getting a manager's name you can meet up with really really help.

 

I'd love to get a copy of that article and TSA ruling. But good idea on calling ahead and getting a managers name and approval.

 

I could never find it unfortunately. I heard a smile and engaging conversation goes a long way to.

 

Too bad.
I bet they do as does a positive attitude, I'm sure.

 

When you land there just ask to talk to a manager and try setting it up at that time, or call and arrange it and than double check again once you land

 

I wish you the best of luck and a great trip! My wife, pepperyfox and I just returned after 15 nights there.....I have lived there and am local myself.
As for the export of anything live from the islands....I think you are going to have some resistnace by the Agricultural department. They inspect every bag for anything alive and don't let as much as a piece of fruit leave. Baggage goes through two screenings, a Agricultural screening and a TSA. Those are two separate hoops and relatively unrelated groups you should check with. By the way, the export of fish and live creatures is highly regulated and as a side note....it is impossible to get foreign coral there (legally). It is flat not allowed on the island. Even for that matter, the collection of indiginous coral is all but illegal. From a reliable source (marine biology student at the aquarium) in order to collect live coral, you have to place a sterile collection plate in the water and after a bunch of documentation and observation and time, what SETTLES on the plate may be collected! And this is what a COLLEGE has to go through...not a tourist! And then on top of that is local Hawaiian historic resons...(for an example I know of....a particular region where zoanthids grow. Native Hawaiians used to dip spears in...tradition has the power of law in Hawaii...can't be messed with) the location of these patches of zoanthids aren't even discussed with tourists!
As for the aquarium there! It is awesome! They have a very special angel fish there...only two in capitvity from something like 300ft depths! He is very cute, and worth somewhere around $250,000 (in cost to collect him!)The Waikiki Aquarium does have some foreign corals...but as far as I know that very special case is the only reason why they are allowed on the islands.
What hotel are you staying at and are you a diver?

 

Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources