Going Places: Smuggling 'innocent' souvenirs dangerous to Canadian environment

BY LIZ FLEMING

So you bought a wooden carving in Costa Rica - and it's going to look great in the living room. If you can get it home, that is.

It's not a matter of fitting it in your bag - you can probably have it packed at the shop where you bought it.  The more serious issue is declaring it when you return to Canada.

Although most travellers are aware that there are restrictions regarding the importation of certain products, few of us know just what we can't bring back - or why.

While it would take many more words than we have here to provide a comprehensive list, some of the more obvious items for importation concern include wood products like that carving for your living room.  Exotic woods can harbour bugs such as termites that could present a serious danger to valuable forests, so such products have to be declared for inspection.

Some items aren't even up for discussion - such as those luscious pieces of fruit you just couldn't bear to leave in the bowl in your hotel room.  Because they could also be a means of importing diseases that could infect the tender fruit trees at home, eat those goodies in the departure lounge.

Other items that won't pass muster at the customs and immigration desk include meat, animal products and feathers - all of which could spread diseases in the Canadian agricultural world.  No matter how great those dried sausages were in Germany, don't even think of bringing them in without making a full declaration.

You may also need to think about restricting your movements for a while when you return to Canada, particularly if you've been in contact with agricultural animals while on your trip.

The concern you could contribute to the spread of avian flu or certain other livestock-related diseases is a serious one, so you may be asked not to go near farmed or zoo animals, including poultry, for at least five days following your return.  If you've had contact with any wild birds, you'll need to stay away from farms for at least 14 days following your return.

Wondering if you can just sneak a couple of things through? Special tools and highly trained detector dogs are used to find just the sorts of things you might be thinking about tucking in the bottom of your suitcase.  If you're caught trying to enter Canada with undeclared food, animals, plants or related products,  your purchases will be confiscated, and you might face a $400  fine and possibly more serious prosecution. If you're thinking that these rules sound pretty restrictive, you're right. Protecting plant and animal life in Canada is serious business.