Can you bring home Zoas from Hawaii?

[Cantusaurus]

My interpretation of the Hawaiian regulations around zoanthids is this: there does not appear to be a law which specifically prohibits the take of Zoanthids. However, there is a law against the take and damage of live rock (HAR 13-95). The definition of "live rock" is "any natural hard substrate to which marine life is visibly attached or affixed."

If a zoanthid is attached to a substrate that substrate is by definition live rock. So you can't break off the rock with the zoas because that is damaging and taking the live rock. Potentially, peeling the zoas off wouldn't break the rule, but I'm not a lawyer.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/fishing-regulations/marine-invertebrates/

Yes, you are correct. The DLNR person also confirmed this when I asked. You can't take/damage the rock.
The issue with collecting the nice green ones way that they were all on the rock and it was very difficult to get them off especially since I did not have a thin razor blade or anything like that.
But I did find another variety on a small dead scallop, so I took that. A couple grains of sand were also taken, but I think that's fine. They mostly just want the live rock and hard corals undamaged.
But yet their are tourists constantly being negligent and stepping on corals and nothing can really be done, and people who are careful and want to raise these animals in captivity are punished due to the rulings (which does make sense)

 

[Cantusaurus]

It’s not the best picture, sorry. They don’t look the best :/ but hopefully they start to look good. They looked awful at first, so at least they’re open now. Hopefully I can propagate them, and if they look good under whites I’ll definitely sell them to people with tanks with full spectrum or a bit on the whiter side (to see if they give off that deep green)

These are the other ones I brought (I brought a lot more of these)
But these are not the dark green ones but look pretty good under blues. They have an interesting green and a blue center (pretty decent)

 

[Bridgerdean]

This is really cool. Please keep us updated. Love to see a whole colony.

 

[Reefing102]

Any updates on these? They look pretty cool

 

[Bridgerdean]

Bump

 

[Cantusaurus]

Any updates on these? They look pretty cool

They're doing better. They look pretty standard in my DT. I may add them some to another tank with primarily white light and see if they can show that deep green coloration.
The other ones I got that are more basic are doing better actually.
I can show photos later today

 

[Wasabiroot]

Y'all are assuming Government Workers actually answer their phones...or are even there to answer a ringing phone

Helps if they get more than 2 people to work or a budget larger than 4 dollars per month

 

[Reefing102]

They're doing better. They look pretty standard in my DT. I may add them some to another tank with primarily white light and see if they can show that deep green coloration.
The other ones I got that are more basic are doing better actually.
I can show photos later today

That would be awesome

 

[garry931]

You are hard off to find anyone in Hawaii that keeps reef tanks. It’s very illegal to collect anything from the ocean there.

When I was there I went snorkeling and scuba diving a lot.
I saw some amazing fish. Not so amazing corals.

That’s not true. There are several reef tanks here. Due to the ban you can only have some stuff. So it’s not like a reef tank in the mainland. But yes there are plenty zoa reefs here. As for the diving you were going to the wrong places lol the reef here isn’t the greatest but there are beautiful corals here. Just can’t touch them. And it’s not very illegal to collect anything from the ocean. Yes you can collect certain fish from the tide pools with a small net No you cannot bring any type of corals/zoas home with you. Unless you get a permit

 

[SlugSnorter]

So… hypothetically. If I saw some nice zoas in some tide pools in Hawaii am I allowed to bring them? I’ve read that stony corals, and live rock is a big no, but there’s nothing that says Zoas cannot be taken. If they’re on a shell or something would that be fair game? Just take them in a small container under 3.4 ounces (for the plane)
Most likely I don’t plan on doing this, but if there are some on a little shell or something I may do it, if it’s legal of course.

NO, nope, 100% no. can't even take sand or shells FYI. also in a container like that it would die in a heartbeat, also they airport security would charge you with animal smuggling

 

[sfin52]

A person from the DLNR responded to my email like 1.5 days later.
They said it was ok as long as I didn't take the rock the Zoas are on

Keep that on hand. You may need a license and other documentation

 

[sfin52]

NO, nope, 100% no. can't even take sand or shells FYI. also in a container like that it would die in a heartbeat, also they airport security would charge you with animal smuggling

You can take coral on a plane you need documentation and such but its possible

 

[sfin52]

Well everytime I’ve called DNR where I’m from with questions regarding hunting or fishing, yes, they have answered the phone and then if they don’t know they put me with the person that over sees the stuff I’m inquiring about.

Dnr is the exception they are much like the police force.

 

[t5Nitro]

NO, nope, 100% no. can't even take sand or shells FYI. also in a container like that it would die in a heartbeat, also they airport security would charge you with animal smuggling

You didn't read the thread, Slug! He's way past getting home with his new coral.

 

[Simon Reefing]

Not worth it….

 

[Cantusaurus]

Yeah, I got the corals home. I found a shell they were on and scraped some off. I just didn't tell anyone I had them, and that worked out. I had them in a half gallon water jug and kept them in there for several days. I exchanged some of the water too. The Urchins I took also survived.

I think the big island is the strictest with this stuff. And they claimed it was illegal for me to take the urchins (despite the DLNR saying otherwise, and there being no restrictions on them). AND they let me through so it most likely wasn't illegal.
I should've just bought more 4 ounce containers and had 1 urchin per container, and just left them in my bag, but whatever.
It was probably not worth it for the Urchins and getting them through TSA, but hey if you go prepared with supplies and containers it can easily be done.

 

[Cantusaurus]

You can take coral on a plane you need documentation and such but its possible

Yup! It's especially easy to take corals/fish/inverts through TSA (excluding Hawaii which takes a lot more).
When I came back from Texas (with a Nem).
I had printed the TSA thing stating I could take coral through. But I asked if the person could handcheck the coral bag and the lady was like I gotchu and I didn't even need to give the paper, and it was super easy.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

So what ended up happening with these?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Woman who collected queen conch seashells in Florida sentenced to jail

A Texas tourist who collected 40 queen conchs seashells from Key West, Florida, is going to jail for 15 days.

www.usatoday.com

Totally unrelated but I read it anyways hah

 

[miyags]

Haven't you watched the Brady Bunch?..It's TABOO to take things from Hawaii..A legend, referred to as Pele's Curse, says that visitors who take rocks or sand away from Hawaii will suffer bad luck until the native Hawaiian elements are returned.