For Rubel Kanti Mohajon, a young resident of Joydevpur on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, an interest in ornamental fishes moving inside an aquarium wearing vivid colours was merely fun and a fancy for long.Rubel, however, learned about the business potential of the trade when he attended a training programme in 2013 on aquarium maintenance and creation of awarenes
Aquarium fish breeding technology:
There are quite a large number of tropical aquarium fishes known to aquarists. While many of the fish are easy to breed, some of these are rare, difficult to breed and expensive. Most of the exotic species can be bred and reared easily since the technology is simple and well developed. It is advisable to start with common, attractive, easily- bred and less expensive species before attempting the more challenging ones. An ornamental fish project can be either 1) rearing only 2) breeding only 3) breeding and rearing, depending on the space available. The technology involves the following activities:
- Culture/rearing:
The culture/rearing of these fishes can be taken up normally in cement tanks. Cement tanks are easy to maintain and durable. One species can be stocked in one tank. However, in case of compatible species two or three species can occupy the same tank. Ground water from dug wells/deep tube wells are the best for rearing. The fishes reach the marketable size in around 4 to 6 months. Eight to ten crops can be taken in a year.
- Feeding:
Young fish are fed mainly with Infusoria, Artemia, Daphnia, Mosquito larvae Tubifex and Blood worms. For rearing, formulated artificial or prepared feed can be used. At present no indigenously prepared feed for aquarium fish is available. The amount and type of food to be given depends on the size of the fry. Feeding is generally done twice in a day or according to the requirement. For rearing from fry stage dry/prepared feed can be used.
- Breeding:
The method of breeding is based on the family characteristics of the fish. The success of breeding depends on the compatibility of pairs, the identification of which is a skill born out of experience. Generally the brooders are selected from the standing crop or purchased and reared separately by feeding them with good live food. However, it is always better to buy good brooding stock. Otherwise, the original characteristic of the species keeps on getting diluted because of continuous inbreeding. Brooders especially egg layers should be discarded after few spawning.
s for the conservation of indigenous ornamental fishes.
The training was organised by the government’s Department of Fisheries in collaboration with the organisation ‘Get Your Fishes’.”
Experts believe that, among the multiple schemes promoted by the Department of Fisheries, ornamental fish or aquarium fish rearing has a huge export potential.An ornamental fish project can be taken up either as a community-managed programme by self-help groups or by fish farmers and also by individuals like Rubel.“I have started my fish farm after getting that training. The domestic market has a high demand for varieties like Gold Fish, Guppy, Betty, Sword Fishe and others. I have been rearing them for the past few years and have been earning Tk 30,000-40,000 per month by selling fishes that I breed,” he said.
Growing market
Ornamental fish are in huge demand the world over, especially in the USA, Europe and Japan. A major part of the export trade is based on wild collection. It has a domestic market based on locally-bred exotic species.The overall annual domestic trade is something like Tk 30 crore and it is growing at the rate of 20 per cent per annum, according to the Bangladesh Aquarium Fish Traders Association (BAFTA).The government, which woke up to its huge export potential, is now trying to exploit the massive demand in a technology-driven manner. The sector, considering the relatively simple techniques involved, is now trying to create substantial employment opportunities besides earning foreign exchange.Colourful ornamental fish rearing is one of the oldest hobbies in the world. The growing interest in aquarium fish has resulted in a steady increase in aquarium fish trade globally. The ornamental fish trade with a turn-over of $6 billion and annual growth rate of 8 per cent offers a lot of scope for development.The top exporting country is Singapore, followed by Honking, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Srilanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and India. The largest importer of ornamental fish is the USA, followed by Europe and Japan. The emerging markets are China and South Africa. Over $ 500 million worth of ornamental fish are imported by the USA each year.The Department of Fisheries in Bangladesh is developing rural entrepreneurship in this regard by encouraging fish culture. Many educated entrepreneurs were coming forward to establish breeding centres both in urban and rural areas.
How the fish firms function?
At present, at the outskirts of Dhaka in Savar and in Joydevpur, hundreds of exotic and indigenous ornamental fish varieties are being bred under captive conditions. Majority of the production goes to the domestic market and to some extent for export.Md Khokon Uddin, owner of an ornamental fish hatchery in Savar, told The Independent that most of the exotic species can be bred and reared easily since the technology is simple and well developed. An ornamental fish project can either be exclusively for rearing or breeding or both, depending on the space and expertise available.Khokon said species such as guppies, mollies, sword tails and angel fishes can be matured, bred and grown in glass aquaria and small cement tanks, where as gold fish, barbs and cichlids require a minimum water volume of 1,000 litres.Breeding and growing of catfish and carp varieties require earthen ponds having water volume of 10 to 20 cubic metres. Earthen ponds lined with plastic sheets are commonly used as breeding and holding tanks for ornamental fishes.Generally, one species is stocked in one pond or tank but a number of compatible species can be stocked together in one tank. The basic requirement for successful breeding and rearing of ornamental fish are adequate space, quality water and sufficient feed, said Khokon.
Organizing the market
Alamgir Ratan, Secretary General of BAFTA told The Independent that starting a tropical pet fish related business demands adequate skill and knowledge.Ratan who owns one of the large shops of ornamental fishes in the capital’s Katabon market said, first of all, one must know the different types of aquarium fishes, their feeding habits, behaviours etc.Also, one must have the expertise to handle them, Ratan said, adding that disease management was another important aspect that one must consider very carefully.“Finally, you must know how to maintain aquariums, supplies and the overall cleanliness of the area. So, it is good if you have any have any prior experience; otherwise, consider working with other established companies for some time to acquire practical knowledge.”Professor Delwara Ferdousi, a retired fisheries expert who had a long and distinguished career in supervising ornamental fish rearing projects in Qatar, told The Independent to protect this new and growing market, the traders must evolve better practices.She said that the rising popularity of fish-keeping as a hobby had increased the demand for ornamental fish worldwide, making them an important component of the global fish trade.Ninety per cent of the trade volume is concentrated around tropical freshwater “species, the majority of which is constituted by diverse wild-caught species.“But indiscriminate exploitation from natural sources may lead to extinction of some of the rarer varieties; a decline in numbers of some species has already been reported,” she said.Besides, the wild collection of these species for the trade has become a debatable issue: though ornamental fish trade could be an important contributor to local economies, the unmanaged wild collection can reduce the sustainability of the trade and lead to population decline of important fish species,” she said.
