Marine Export Permit

Procedures for collecting and export permits for marine organisms are different than for terrestrial and freshwater species. STRI will submit an application on your behalf if your project meets the STRI criteria for approval. There is a charge for this service, see the fee schedule. Please fill the application only if your project was approved by STRI.

To export specimens, you must have collected them under a collection permit. If collection of marine specimens will be carried out inside national parks and/or protected areas (Map Indicating Protected Areas in Panama), a collecting permit needs to be processed with Panama's National Authority for the Environment (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, ANAM). This collecting permit is also required if collection includes CITES protected species. (Request this Collecting Permit). For exportation of such specimens, Please Press here .

If collection of marine specimens will not be carried out inside national parks and/or protected areas, and does not include CITES protected species, then you will be covered under the general STRI Marine Collecting Permit. If you plan to export, you will require a Marine Export Permit from the Autoridad de Recursos Acuáticos de Panamá (ARAP). Panamanian Authorities request that a voucher specimen be deposited at the Department of Marine Biology of the University of Panama .  These must be identified as to species, properly prepared, mounted, and labeled with collection data and given before departure from Panama to:  Mercedes Denis, Scientific Coordinator/Naos Marine Laboratory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Building #356, Amador, Causeway . 

Additionally, it is important that scientists provide a copy of a publication resulting from the research based on the exported the marine organisms as soon as it is available. If the export does not result in a formal publication, a summary report or abstract of status will be acceptable. Failure to comply with this regulation will adversely affect future authorization and processing of permits for you and/or your colleagues.

Important “TIPS” When filling out the application form:

• Fill the application form only if your project was approved by STRI.
• First Part can be written in English or Spanish but the Second Part must be in Spanish.
• Requested information should not be too technical.
• It is recommended that you consider reducing the number of species to be exported to the minimum required.
• According to ARAP, official processing time of the request to export will depend, to a large extent, on the justification and description provided by each researcher.

APPLICATION/REQUEST FOR MARINE EXPORT PERMIT PART I

(Fill out this form COMPLETELY. DO NOT leave anything blank. Information can be provided in English or, Spanish)