Ornamental fish make profit splash

Ornamental fish stored in tanks for export at a fish farm in HCM City. The city exported 7 million ornamental fish, an increase of 3.5 per cent year-on-year. — VNA/VNS Photo Pham Do

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — Exports of ornamental fish from HCM City and several Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces have brought high profits for breeders this year, mostly due to an increase in the number of promotions.

In the first nine months of the year, HCM City exported 7 million ornamental fish, an increase of 3.5 per cent year-on-year, according to the city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Tong Huu Chau, owner of the Chau Tong Ornamental Fish Enterprise in HCM City's District 12, said that exporters had been successfully promoting their products over the year.

Many new partners from the US, Australia and Canada have placed orders this year, he said, adding that prices were not too high and were competitive.

Ho Nhuan Dang Son, general secretary of the Long An Province's Ornamental Creatures Association, said that export orders had been rising since the beginning of the year.

Son said he earned a profit last year of nearly VND500 million (US$23,800) from raising 100 tanks of discus fish and 2ha of other ornamental fish.

The EU accounts for 73 per cent of Viet Nam's ornamental fish exports and Asia and the US account for the remaining, according to the HCM City Fisheries Quality Assurance and Aquatic Resources Protection Sub-Department.

Enterprises said, however, that Vietnamese ornamental fish exports still faced several technical barriers from import countries.

Chau said that four carp exporters in HCM City have encountered such problems.

The city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the Agriculture and Forestry University, carried out a project to implement good manufacturing practices to produce ornamental fish between 2011 and October of this year.

This practice will be applied on a pilot basis at several ornamental fish farms next month, said the association.

Last year, the city exported VND400 billion (US$19 million) of ornamental fish, up two times against 2008, said the department.

The city now raises more than 63 million ornamental fish, up 14.5 per cent against the same period last year, it said. — VNS