Import restrictions make no sense

I spent a couple of weeks in the Philippines watching the locals haul huge plecos out of the river and leave them on the bank to die. It seems as an introduced species they are not seen in a favourable light. While I was there I found some packs of Hikari algae wafers for a really good price so I got 5 packs to bring home, 2 for my sister and 3 for me. Coming through customs they inform me that they are listed as a controlled substance under the animal remidies act or something similar and they would only let me have 2 packs! I tried telling them we sell the same product here and I regularly buy them from pet stores here and the officials just didn't want to hear it...

The finally rang back a couple of days later and said they would let it go this time but it still left me wondering how they can classify fishfood as a remedy.

they probably wanted you to try and bribe them or something. i heard customs are pretty dodgy over there...?

The thought of them killing all those plecos....it's upsetting, but I don't live there and have to deal with whatever problems they are causing there. But still....

I think they just didn't know what they were talking about. I didn't have the paper with me but it is ok to import fish food as long as it is sealed in a package and in the same condition as sold. They just didn't want to admit they had egg on their face!