Guppies and Angels, two popular aquarium fish varieties, are scripting new trends in ornamental fish trade.
The Kerala Aqua Ventures International Limited (KAVIL), a Kerala government initiative for the promotion of fish trade, recently exported some varieties to Sri Lanka, the country from where the agency found its consultant. Two consignments of Angels and Guppies were exported to Sri Lanka recently, said A. Gopalakrishnan Nair, MD, KAVIL.
“We have been regularly supplying fish to Sri Lanka and other countries. Several consignments of Denisonii and Melon Barb were also exported to Sri Lanka,” he said.
Ornamental fish trade has reached a stage in Kerala where the exporters are finding it difficult to meet the orders. The delay in the completion of the satellite farms, where the fish are to be bred, has affected the export. Fish produced in the homestead farms are also insufficient to meet the demand, he said.
Most of the buyers are demanding huge quantities of fish. Some have demanded consignments of 15,000 to 20,000 fishes. Ornamental fish is in short supply in the neighbouring States too. Some of the export needs were met recently by collecting the fish available in the homestead farms across the State, he said.
Yet, Mr. Nair is hopeful that the fish trade would take a giant leap in the coming months as the satellite farms would become operational shortly. More than 90 per cent of the work of farms has been completed. Once they become operational, there would be enough fish to be exported, he hoped.
Within one year of the launch, KAVIL exported 22 consignments to various countries and earned Rs. 32 lakh.
