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Handling and packing of aquarium fish play a vital role in the export sector. Fish is considered fresh when it is alive. Live fish is in demand in many countries especially in some South Eastern countries not only because of its freshness but also marketing of fish has been deep rooted as a part of culture. From the producers and sellers point of selling live fish gives extra money.

Within Asia, Japan is the single most important market for live fish. Other countries in the region where live fish is popular are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. The lack of technology has restricted live fish markets close to production centres for a long time. The recent technological development in packing has paved the way for successful transporting of live fish to markets several hundred miles away, said Dr. S. Subasinghe, Director Inter-Governmental Organisation for Marketing and Technical Advisory Services for Fisheries products in the Asia and the Pacific Region (InfoFish).

He was making a presentation at a workshop recently on "Handling and Packaging of aquarium fish for export" organised by the Export Development Board in collaboration with InfoFish. Around seventy five exports participated in the workshop.

Mr. Subasinghe said that the role of the InfoFish is to create awareness and look after the needs of countries in the Asia Pacific on aquatic environment. InfoFish interacts with the EDB and identifies needs. It has formed a network to provide information and databases. Current information is disseminated through their publications.

Andrew Soh, Managing Director, Association of Aquarium (Pvt) Ltd., Singapore made a presentation on handling and packing of aquarium fish for export. A practical schedule begins right from packing until delivery time at a station or an airport. Clean disinfected packing water, the new bags for export packing are an essential requirement and also premises for packing must be cleaned after each export. He said that it is the responsibility of exporters to ensure that a good packing system is used to see that fish arrive in good condition to ensure minimum mortality rate.

When fish is exported there has to be a less than one percent mortality rate. This is known as the seven day mandating guarantee. When preparing fish for transport a few days before transport, fish should be kept in clean water in separate tanks. Fish should not be fed for several days depending on their size. The last feed for every small fish or lava should be twelve to twenty four hours before transhipment. Larger fish should not be fed for the last three days. Sufficient plastic bags, insulating boxes, rubber bands, pure oxygen and clean water should be available. To keep the fish in darkness transparency boxes are in laid with paper or black foil.

The fish and fisheries sector has been identified as one of the priority product sectors for development by the EDB due to its export potential as well as its employment generation capacity. The export of aquarium fish has grown from US $ 5.318 million in 1995 to US $ 7.53 million in 2000. However there is a slight drop in value of exports from 1998 to 2000. The major importing countries of acquiring fish are European Union, USA and Japan. Sri Lanka's major market for aquarium fish was Japan up to 1999.

L. S. G. Tillakeratne, Director General of the EDB delivered the welcome address. 

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