Bringin Fish Back to the Lower 48 from Alaska

jnharley wrote:
We did not do anything special with our fish and we were not even asked about it when we re-entered the states at Oroville, WA. They were more interested in produce,. We also had some exotic meat in the freezer but no questions were asked about it either,

Ahh to be the one in every couple of hundred the border patrol doesn't bother! :C

We did not do anything special with our fish and we were not even asked about it when we re-entered the states at Oroville, WA. They were more interested in produce,. We also had some exotic meat in the freezer but no questions were asked about it either,

bob_nestor wrote:
I asked Canadian Customs about this on my trip back home to Alaska this summer. Their advice was 1) don't try to bring any bear meat over the border -it's illegal in Canada...

Bear meat is not illegal in Canada. Many people hunt & eat bear in Yukon. It can be a bit chewy, but it is edible.

BUT if you're crossing into Canada from the US with bear meat you need to have the correct permits, and depending on the type of bear and your intended use of the product, you may not be able to get a permit.
Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations

rockhillmanor wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
I remember somebody stating that they had to leave the fish recognizable as to species because of possession limits, and it is difficult to identify filets.
bumpy

x2

Leave skin on for identification. If skin is off they can't identify and they take it.

There are plenty of gov sites available that tell you how to bring in fish across borders and even about leaving the skin on for identification in some instances when fishing within the states too!

I believe that they said to just gill and gut them, leave rest for identification.
bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:
I remember somebody stating that they had to leave the fish recognizable as to species because of possession limits, and it is difficult to identify filets.
bumpy

x2

Leave skin on for identification. If skin is off they can't identify and they take it.

There are plenty of gov sites available that tell you how to bring in fish across borders and even about leaving the skin on for identification in some instances when fishing within the states too!

I asked Canadian Customs about this on my trip back home to Alaska this summer. Their advice was 1) don't try to bring any bear meat over the border -it's illegal in Canada, and 2) stop by US Customs with your fish before you enter Canada and get a document from them showing the fish came from Alaska. This is easy to do. Canadian Customs told me that generally they don't care if you bring the freezer full of fish over the border, but US Customs on their souther border may and that's why they recommend getting the document before leaving Alaska. US Customs won't know if you got the fish in Alaska or in Canada without the document.

Another option is FedEx. They will process and store the fish in Alaska and ship it to your doorstep on the day you choose.

Maybe this will help: LINK

I remember somebody stating that they had to leave the fish recognizable as to species because of possession limits, and it is difficult to identify filets.
bumpy

I would contact Canadian Customs for this info. I'm sure they have a publication that you can print online. Don't forget to check with U.S. Customs also since you will be bringing the fish in from Canada. I don't think it matters that you originally got it in Alaska, it is still coming into the lower 48 from Canada.

I agree with you to do it legit.