Travelling with fish?

As in on a plane. Across the country. The flight won't be more than an hour or 2. Now, I know different airlines will be well - different but if you have done it before and it all worked out I would like to know how. Fish will mainly be bettas and plecos. It will be in the winter months so some sort of heat source is necessary - got that covered. Bag/box will be insulated. Carry on or cargo? Obv. if it is carry on the fish will need to be in SMALL bags in small amounts of water due to the regulations. This is where I am not sure - and would like some advice from people who have done it before or from people that have looked into it.

Thanks in advance!

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Permalink Reply by ŦůRbö ۰ Ҏяѻ ۰ on November 20, 2012 at 4:26pm

Im not 100% sure about the State laws about "importing," but heres what I know.

Each state is different. I live in Arizona and I goto Cali all the time to visit inlaws. There are a few lakes, rivers, and creeks near their home, so I would collect plants, fish and crayfish. But trying to cross into Az they would "seize" them. Cali and Az will not allow any "living" thing to enter the state, unless its a registered pet. This includes veggies, plants, fish...

So next time I went to Cali I thought I would send my collections from Cali to my Az house, ( sent it overnight the day we left ) But it never came. Got a letter from the Az gov saying I wasnt licensed to "import" these types of items into Az.

Maybe ask a LFS whats with that. Or Dustin.

This I know 100%. I am actually a pilot myself. (just for fun, not an airline pilot, but I know alot of airline pilots.)

As for a carry on liquid situation - you can have one (1) quart size, zip-lock
type of bag filled with individuals bottles of liquids no larger that 3.4 oz.
This is not an airline policy and no airline will be able to waive that for
you. It's a Federal law. Exceptions are for medical necessities. (But I was able to carry on my cigs and lighter... yeah a lighter, Makes no sense.)

As for checked baggage - You can have as much liquid in your bag as you like. I
would not recommend liquid in checked baggage though, unless you can
find and absolutely watertight container to put them into. Remember bags get
pretty beat up in the basements and ramps of most airports, tossed about, smashed by other bags... In the cargo section of a passenger plane its not pressurized. Although at 30,000 feet the air is 31 degrees Fahrenheit, the cargo area is usually heated by the the engine exhaust and kept around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Personally I would overnight ship them, with a carrier that works with animal transports. Just ship them a few hours before your flight.

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Permalink Reply by lc on November 26, 2012 at 4:22pm

I sent an email to the CATSA here is the reply:

On behalf of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), we thank you for your e-mail dated November 26, 2012, in which you enquired about traveling with a pet fish.

When traveling from a Canadian airport, permitted and non-permitted items are regulated by Transport Canada and are enforced by pre-board screening officers. According to Transport Canada regulations, a pet fish is permitted in both carry-on baggage and checked baggage. As with all items in your possession, your pet fish will need to be screened, however the container transporting the fish in water is subject to the 100mL liquids, aerosols and gels restrictions. Water for transporting a fish is not exempt.

Please note that if the glass cases contain liquid, passengers are permitted to bring liquids, gels and aerosols through security screening at Canadian airports provided that the items are packaged in containers with a capacity of 100 ml / 100 grams (3.4 oz) or less, and that the containers fit comfortably in one clear, closed and resealable plastic bag with a capacity of no more than 1 litre (1 quart). The approximate dimensions of a one litre/quart bag are 15 cm by 23 cm (6 in. by 9 in.) or 20 cm by 18 cm (8 in. by 7 in.). One bag per passenger is permitted.

So in this case, you are allowed to bring a fish with your carry on provided the liquid amount is less than 100ml and it fits comfortable into one of the baggies. I know in the US the rules for bringing fish (with carry on) are as follows:

Live fish must be transported in a clear, plastic, spill proof container. In this case, the container may be larger than 3.4 ounces. A Transportation Security Officer will visually inspect your live fish at the checkpoint.

Even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane.

Good to know I guess!