Black coral jewelry?

[ASA400]

Hi guys,

Back when I was last in Coz (1991) you could buy black coral jewelry. Is this still possible? Is it legal to import to the U.S.? Or is it a something a responsible person should not be buy whether or not it is legal to import?

Thanks!

 

[Skittl1321]

Or is it a something a responsible person should not be buy whether or not it is legal to import?

I don't know about the legality, but I personally wouldn't buy black coral since it is endangered.

 

[redacted]

It would appear to be neither illegal nor endangered.

Shop Black Coral Jewelry Online - Hawaii Inspired

But those are not pesos.

 

[Tigerman]

It would appear to be neither illegal nor endangered.

Shop Black Coral Jewelry Online - Hawaii Inspired

But those are not pesos.

They kinda are.. but a LOT of them...

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any frigging shortage of it here in Hawaii below about 180' or so. No idea about Coz, tho.

 

[Skittl1321]

Coral

Coral species may be protected under international, domestic or even state environmental laws. Black corals (Antipatharia) were listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1981.

 

[BRT]

It is no problem to buy it in Cozumel but I question if it is black coral or plastic. Plastic is legal to import into the USA. Black coral not so much.

 

[mstevens]

You are supposed to have an export permit from Mexico in order to import black coral legally from Mexico to the US. Some Cozumel artisans have such permits. Some don't. It's Mexico's coral to protect (hence the need for an export permit, not an import permit), and you can legally buy US black coral, so you most likely would be allowed into the country with it.

Black corals are listed on Appendix II of CITES as "threatened". That also applies to Queen Conch, which is delicious. Different people are going to have different views about how proper it is to eat, kill, carve, or annoy such species.

My personal position on this is that I'm not going to buy black coral but I'm not going to begrudge a Mexican artisan who makes a living harvesting or carving it.

 

[ggunn]

You are supposed to have an export permit from Mexico in order to import black coral legally into from Mexico to the US.

To resell or just for personal use?

 

[Dr. Lecter]

There's a whole CFR section in the addressing how US persons may wear such things as black coral jewelry home while complying with the US implementation of CITES: eCFR ? Code of Federal Regulations