AVA advice. Bulk sellers and /or a commercial entity.

**Alvin Koh** · 06-05-2003, 05:00 PM

If you are a hobbyist who is trading items in bulk or a commercial entity, please post your advertisements in the Commercial Buy/Sell forums.

There are 2 simple guidelines to using the commercial buy/sell (to ensure fairness & prevent abuse):

i. A new thread can only be started after 7 days from the last
ii. You can post updates via replies to your own threads but outsiders cannot reply.

All commercial postings will be featured at the bottom of every buy/sell forums randomly so hobbyists can still see the various items/products on offer

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you differentiate a trading/commercial post from a non-commercial one?

A trading hobbyist is one who trades/ supplies a large quantity of stocks for sale. If the contents of the buy/sell thread fits under the following category, it will be deemed a commercial thread and moved to the commercial buy/sell forum.

Examples of these include:
1) Bulk sellers of imported frys/fishes or fish breeders
2) Providers of commercial services, e.g. tank suppliers, delivery services of feeders, delivery services for bulky items.
3) LFS advertisements

What about commercial entities like fish stores, or businesses?

If the message of the posting is advertising/promotional in nature, the threads should be posted in the commercial section.

Why is there a need for a traders/commercial section in the first place?

In the past, there was no differentiation between commercial and non-commercial postings. However, as the Buy/Sell forums gained volume, it became a popular platform for advertisements by individuals trading in attempts to function like a business.

This reduced the visibility of genuine hobbyists wishing to sell or purchase items from other pure hobbyists. A host of other problems included rivalry and increased flooding of postings by traders.

Your help is needed to ensure that we keep the hobbyist Buy/Sell forums free of such issues without denying the traders/commercial sellers an opportunity for posting their wares.

Thank you for reading & regards,
Alvin Koh
Administrator

**jwhtan** · 16-12-2004, 03:55 PM

“The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) would like to inform the
public that the commercial breeding of animals can only be carried
out on farms licensed by AVA. Pet owners who regularly breed and
advertise to sell pets can be considered as commercial breeders. An
individual convicted of breeding and selling animals from his
premises without a licence from AVA can be fined up to $5,000 upon
conviction.”

**jwhtan** · 17-02-2005, 06:15 PM

Asian Arowana Guide.doc

Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) Guide for Hobbyists/Travellers

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement to ensure that trade does not threaten wildlife species with extinction.

The Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus), or dragonfish as it is commonly known, is a protected species under CITES. Hence, any import or export/re-export of Asian Arowanas require CITES permits. The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), targeted at Travellers and Hobbyists, highlight commonly asked questions pertaining to the import and export/re-export of dragonfishes for personal effects.

1. How do I bring in an Asian Arowana from overseas (eg. Malaysia) into Singapore?

Only tagged, captive-bred Asian Arowanas (Scleropages formosus) from CITES-registered captive-breeding operations are allowed to be imported. The following are CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Singapore

i. Rainbow Aquarium Pte Ltd
Lot 35-38
Sungei Tengah Agrotechnology Park
Singapore

ii. Panda Aquatic Centre Pte Ltd
Plot No. LCK 112, Mukim 12
Neo Tiew Crescent
Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park
Singapore 710000

iii. Dragon Fish Industry
107 Neo Tiew Crescent
LCK Agrotechnology Park
Singapore 710000

iv. Singapore Arowana Breeding Farm
Plot LCK 163
Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F
Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park

v. Wan Hu Fish Farm Trading
71 Jalan Lekar
Sungei Tengah
Singapore 698950

vi. Ong’s Tropical Fish Aquarium and Fresh Flowers
63 Pasir Ris Drive 12
Loyang Agrotechnology Park
Singapore 518233

vii. Tung-Hu Aquarium Trading
20, Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F
Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park
Singapore 718866

Malaysia

i. Mr Ng Huan Tong (Xian Leng)
10, Jalan Jenang
83000 BATU PAHAT
Johor

ii. Rainbow Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd.
No. 34, Jalan Biru Muda
Taman Bukit Pasir
83000 BATU PAHAT
Johor

iii. King Kong Aquarium Importer and Exporter
Lot 1602
Mukim Jasin
Jasin District
MELAKA

iv. Lake Ocean Aquarium Sdn. Bhd.
48, Jalan Kekabu 3
Taman Desa Cemerlang
81800 ULU TIRAM
Johor Baharu

v. Kim Kang Aquaculture Trading
No. 5, Jalan flora 4
Taman Flora
83000 BATU PAHAT
Johor

vi. Everise Aquaculture
17A, Jalan Mengkudu
Taman Makmur
83000 BATU PAHAT
Johor

vii. HT Aquatics Sdn. Bhd.
No. 8, Lot 1039,1040 & 1045
Sungei Moyan
Batu Kawa
93250 KUCHING
Sarawak

viii. KT Nyiur Aquaculture Farm Enterprise
Kampung Ketiur Nyiur
KUALA KANGSAR 33000
Perak

ix. Aqualeader Aquarium Corp. Sdn. Bhd.
118E Kampung Tengah
81850 LAYANG-LAYANG
Johor

x. Wo Long Asian Dragon Corporates
1297 Jalan Putri 3/5
Taman Putri Kulai
81000 KULAI
Johor

For a list of CITES-registered captive-breeding arowana farms from other countries, please go to the CITES website at http://www.cites.org under National Contacts>{country}.

CITES permits are required for the importation as the Asian Arowana is a protected species under CITES. Please note that CITES permits must be obtained from BOTH importing and exporting countries prior to the importation.

2. How do I apply for a Singapore CITES permit?
Import applications must be accompanied by a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit from the exporting country. Applicant may fax a copy of the application form and a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit to the CITES Section (Fax: 6325 7646) at least ONE WEEK before the Arowana is brought in. The CITES permit may be collected on the 2nd working day from the date of application. Please ensure that the CITES permits from the exporting countries are issued by CITES Management Authorities or competent authorities.

3. How much is a CITES permit and where can I collect it?
The fee for a Singapore CITES import/export/re-export permit is S$12 per species subject to a minimum of S$60. Fees may be paid through cheque, NETS or CashCard. No cash payment will be accepted. Payment by cheque should be made payable to the “Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority”. Each permit is valid for three months and for one time usage only.

CITES permits can be collected at the following address:

Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
5 Maxwell Road
#02-03 Tower Block MND Complex
Singapore 069110

4. Are the procedures for bringing out an Asian Arowana the same as the import procedures?
Procedures for exporting the dragonfish out from Singapore are similar to that of importing. However, when applying for a CITES export/re-export permit, applicants need only fax a copy of the application form duly filled up. Subsequently, the applicant is to separately apply for a CITES import permit from the country of import, using the Singapore CITES export/re-export permit to facilitate the application.

5. How many dragonfishes can I bring into/out of the country?
Travellers/hobbyists are allowed to import/export/re-export not more than 1 dragonfish in not more than 3 litres of packing water per person.

6. Must I declare the dragonfish upon Customs checking?
Yes. When entering Customs checkpoint, please proceed to the Red Channel and declare to the Customs Authority on the possession of a dragonfish. CITES documents are to be presented to the Customs Authority upon declaration of the dragonfish at the point of entry.

When bringing in the dragonfish, the original CITES export permit issued by the exporting country MUST be submitted to the CITES Section via mail or personally immediately after Customs clearance.

7. How do I know if a dragonfish that I bought from a pet shop/hobbyist is legal?

If the dragonfish is bought from one of the CITES-registered captive breeding farms, a Certificate of Identity bearing details such as the Farm Name and the microchip number for the fish etc, will be issued to you. When buying dragonfishes from pet shops, please note the following:

i. The pet shop has a license to retail dragonfishes, in addition to a fancy fish shop license.
ii. Documents to certify the legality of the dragonfish, eg. Letter of Transfer from the CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms to the pet shop.
iii. Ensure that the dragonfish has its microchip number scanned and corresponds to that stated in the Letter of Transfer, Certificate of Identity etc before purchasing.

8. What happens if I bring in/out a dragonfish without CITES permits?
The Endangered Species Act (Import and Export) Act is the national legislation that gives effect to CITES controls on import and export of CITES-listed wildlife and wildlife products.

In addition to the confiscation of the dragonfish, the import/export/re-export of CITES-listed species without CITES permits is a violation of Section 4(1) of the ESA, and offenders shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$5000 or to a jail term not exceeding 12 months or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$10000 or a jail term of 12 months or both.

Please note that the Certificate of Identity issued by foreign CITES-registered arowana farms does not warrant an exemption from CITES permits applications.

9. I have in possession a dragonfish without tag/ acquired illegally. What should I do?
Possession of an illegally acquired arowana is a violation under ESA. The arowana is to be surrendered to the Ornamental Fish Section, AVA (Tel: 6751 9804).

10. Is is true that as long as Arowanas are microchipped and come with certificates of birth/identity issued by their breeding farms, they are legal and could be imported into Singapore and sold as pets?
No, the Arowanas are not legal! Arowanas, besides being microchipped and accompanied with certificates of birth/identity could only be imported into Singapore provided a CITES import permit has been issued by AVA for their import. Enforcement action will be taken against the importer or owner who keeps Arowanas which are imported without a CITES permit issued by AVA.

11. Who can I contact if I have more queries on matters pertaining to import and export of dragonfishes?
For further enquiries, please contact

CITES Section
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
5 Maxwell Road #02-03
Singapore 069110
Tel: 6227 0670
Fax: 6227 6403 (Correspondence)
6325 7646 (Applications)

Ornamental Fish Section
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
Sembawang Research Station
Lorong Chencharu
Singapore 769194
Tel: 6751 9804
Fax: 6759 5042/43

You may also visit our website at http://www.ava.gov.sg or the CITES Official website at http://www.cites.org for more information.

06-05-2003, 05:00 PM	#1
Alvin Koh Administrator Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1,421	AVA advice. Bulk sellers and /or a commercial entity. If you are a hobbyist who is trading items in bulk or a commercial entity, please post your advertisements in the Commercial Buy/Sell forums. There are 2 simple guidelines to using the commercial buy/sell (to ensure fairness & prevent abuse): i. A new thread can only be started after 7 days from the last ii. You can post updates via replies to your own threads but outsiders cannot reply. All commercial postings will be featured at the bottom of every buy/sell forums randomly so hobbyists can still see the various items/products on offer Frequently Asked Questions How do you differentiate a trading/commercial post from a non-commercial one? A trading hobbyist is one who trades/ supplies a large quantity of stocks for sale. If the contents of the buy/sell thread fits under the following category, it will be deemed a commercial thread and moved to the commercial buy/sell forum. Examples of these include: 1) Bulk sellers of imported frys/fishes or fish breeders 2) Providers of commercial services, e.g. tank suppliers, delivery services of feeders, delivery services for bulky items. 3) LFS advertisements What about commercial entities like fish stores, or businesses? If the message of the posting is advertising/promotional in nature, the threads should be posted in the commercial section. Why is there a need for a traders/commercial section in the first place? In the past, there was no differentiation between commercial and non-commercial postings. However, as the Buy/Sell forums gained volume, it became a popular platform for advertisements by individuals trading in attempts to function like a business. This reduced the visibility of genuine hobbyists wishing to sell or purchase items from other pure hobbyists. A host of other problems included rivalry and increased flooding of postings by traders. Your help is needed to ensure that we keep the hobbyist Buy/Sell forums free of such issues without denying the traders/commercial sellers an opportunity for posting their wares. Thank you for reading & regards, Alvin Koh Administrator

16-12-2004, 03:55 PM	#2
jwhtan Barney Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 9,118	“The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) would like to inform the public that the commercial breeding of animals can only be carried out on farms licensed by AVA. Pet owners who regularly breed and advertise to sell pets can be considered as commercial breeders. An individual convicted of breeding and selling animals from his premises without a licence from AVA can be fined up to $5,000 upon conviction.”

17-02-2005, 06:15 PM	#3
jwhtan Barney Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 9,118	Asian Arowana Guide.doc Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) Guide for Hobbyists/Travellers The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement to ensure that trade does not threaten wildlife species with extinction. The Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus), or dragonfish as it is commonly known, is a protected species under CITES. Hence, any import or export/re-export of Asian Arowanas require CITES permits. The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), targeted at Travellers and Hobbyists, highlight commonly asked questions pertaining to the import and export/re-export of dragonfishes for personal effects. 1. How do I bring in an Asian Arowana from overseas (eg. Malaysia) into Singapore? Only tagged, captive-bred Asian Arowanas (Scleropages formosus) from CITES-registered captive-breeding operations are allowed to be imported. The following are CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore i. Rainbow Aquarium Pte Ltd Lot 35-38 Sungei Tengah Agrotechnology Park Singapore ii. Panda Aquatic Centre Pte Ltd Plot No. LCK 112, Mukim 12 Neo Tiew Crescent Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 710000 iii. Dragon Fish Industry 107 Neo Tiew Crescent LCK Agrotechnology Park Singapore 710000 iv. Singapore Arowana Breeding Farm Plot LCK 163 Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park v. Wan Hu Fish Farm Trading 71 Jalan Lekar Sungei Tengah Singapore 698950 vi. Ong’s Tropical Fish Aquarium and Fresh Flowers 63 Pasir Ris Drive 12 Loyang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 518233 vii. Tung-Hu Aquarium Trading 20, Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 718866 Malaysia i. Mr Ng Huan Tong (Xian Leng) 10, Jalan Jenang 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor ii. Rainbow Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd. No. 34, Jalan Biru Muda Taman Bukit Pasir 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor iii. King Kong Aquarium Importer and Exporter Lot 1602 Mukim Jasin Jasin District MELAKA iv. Lake Ocean Aquarium Sdn. Bhd. 48, Jalan Kekabu 3 Taman Desa Cemerlang 81800 ULU TIRAM Johor Baharu v. Kim Kang Aquaculture Trading No. 5, Jalan flora 4 Taman Flora 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor vi. Everise Aquaculture 17A, Jalan Mengkudu Taman Makmur 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor vii. HT Aquatics Sdn. Bhd. No. 8, Lot 1039,1040 & 1045 Sungei Moyan Batu Kawa 93250 KUCHING Sarawak viii. KT Nyiur Aquaculture Farm Enterprise Kampung Ketiur Nyiur KUALA KANGSAR 33000 Perak ix. Aqualeader Aquarium Corp. Sdn. Bhd. 118E Kampung Tengah 81850 LAYANG-LAYANG Johor x. Wo Long Asian Dragon Corporates 1297 Jalan Putri 3/5 Taman Putri Kulai 81000 KULAI Johor For a list of CITES-registered captive-breeding arowana farms from other countries, please go to the CITES website at http://www.cites.org under National Contacts>{country}. CITES permits are required for the importation as the Asian Arowana is a protected species under CITES. Please note that CITES permits must be obtained from BOTH importing and exporting countries prior to the importation. 2. How do I apply for a Singapore CITES permit? Import applications must be accompanied by a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit from the exporting country. Applicant may fax a copy of the application form and a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit to the CITES Section (Fax: 6325 7646) at least ONE WEEK before the Arowana is brought in. The CITES permit may be collected on the 2nd working day from the date of application. Please ensure that the CITES permits from the exporting countries are issued by CITES Management Authorities or competent authorities. 3. How much is a CITES permit and where can I collect it? The fee for a Singapore CITES import/export/re-export permit is S$12 per species subject to a minimum of S$60. Fees may be paid through cheque, NETS or CashCard. No cash payment will be accepted. Payment by cheque should be made payable to the “Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority”. Each permit is valid for three months and for one time usage only. CITES permits can be collected at the following address: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority 5 Maxwell Road #02-03 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 4. Are the procedures for bringing out an Asian Arowana the same as the import procedures? Procedures for exporting the dragonfish out from Singapore are similar to that of importing. However, when applying for a CITES export/re-export permit, applicants need only fax a copy of the application form duly filled up. Subsequently, the applicant is to separately apply for a CITES import permit from the country of import, using the Singapore CITES export/re-export permit to facilitate the application. 5. How many dragonfishes can I bring into/out of the country? Travellers/hobbyists are allowed to import/export/re-export not more than 1 dragonfish in not more than 3 litres of packing water per person. 6. Must I declare the dragonfish upon Customs checking? Yes. When entering Customs checkpoint, please proceed to the Red Channel and declare to the Customs Authority on the possession of a dragonfish. CITES documents are to be presented to the Customs Authority upon declaration of the dragonfish at the point of entry. When bringing in the dragonfish, the original CITES export permit issued by the exporting country MUST be submitted to the CITES Section via mail or personally immediately after Customs clearance. 7. How do I know if a dragonfish that I bought from a pet shop/hobbyist is legal? If the dragonfish is bought from one of the CITES-registered captive breeding farms, a Certificate of Identity bearing details such as the Farm Name and the microchip number for the fish etc, will be issued to you. When buying dragonfishes from pet shops, please note the following: i. The pet shop has a license to retail dragonfishes, in addition to a fancy fish shop license. ii. Documents to certify the legality of the dragonfish, eg. Letter of Transfer from the CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms to the pet shop. iii. Ensure that the dragonfish has its microchip number scanned and corresponds to that stated in the Letter of Transfer, Certificate of Identity etc before purchasing. 8. What happens if I bring in/out a dragonfish without CITES permits? The Endangered Species Act (Import and Export) Act is the national legislation that gives effect to CITES controls on import and export of CITES-listed wildlife and wildlife products. In addition to the confiscation of the dragonfish, the import/export/re-export of CITES-listed species without CITES permits is a violation of Section 4(1) of the ESA, and offenders shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$5000 or to a jail term not exceeding 12 months or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$10000 or a jail term of 12 months or both. Please note that the Certificate of Identity issued by foreign CITES-registered arowana farms does not warrant an exemption from CITES permits applications. 9. I have in possession a dragonfish without tag/ acquired illegally. What should I do? Possession of an illegally acquired arowana is a violation under ESA. The arowana is to be surrendered to the Ornamental Fish Section, AVA (Tel: 6751 9804). 10. Is is true that as long as Arowanas are microchipped and come with certificates of birth/identity issued by their breeding farms, they are legal and could be imported into Singapore and sold as pets? No, the Arowanas are not legal! Arowanas, besides being microchipped and accompanied with certificates of birth/identity could only be imported into Singapore provided a CITES import permit has been issued by AVA for their import. Enforcement action will be taken against the importer or owner who keeps Arowanas which are imported without a CITES permit issued by AVA. 11. Who can I contact if I have more queries on matters pertaining to import and export of dragonfishes? For further enquiries, please contact CITES Section Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority 5 Maxwell Road #02-03 Singapore 069110 Tel: 6227 0670 Fax: 6227 6403 (Correspondence) 6325 7646 (Applications) Ornamental Fish Section Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority Sembawang Research Station Lorong Chencharu Singapore 769194 Tel: 6751 9804 Fax: 6759 5042/43 You may also visit our website at http://www.ava.gov.sg or the CITES Official website at http://www.cites.org for more information.

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