Slump in ornamental fish exports

Lack of air cargo, direct flights hampers business:

Indunil Hewage

Sri Lanka needs to record a 10 percent growth in years to come to be more competitive in the global ornamental fish market, Export Development Board Fishery Sector Deputy Director O M C Kumudini said.

Currently, Sri Lankan ornamental fish industry records 5 percent average growth and is ranked tenth in the world as an ornamental fish supplier and accounts for 2.7 in the global ornamental fish market.

Sri Lanka recorded US $ 8.9 million in 2008 and it was US $ 8.5 million last year.

Exotic ornamental fish

There was a slight decrease in the total ornamental fish export earnings last year owing to the economic crisis and decreased prices in fish varieties.

The country has recorded a slight decrease in the total ornamental fish export earnings for the first six months in 2010 owing to flight cancellations in the face of Katla volcano eruption in Iceland.

USA and European Union countries such as UK, France and Germany and Scandinavian countries are major export markets for the Sri Lankan ornamental fish industry and USA accounts for 35 percent of Sri Lankan ornamental fish exports.

Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are the major global competitors in the global ornamental fish industry and they are competing with each other to ensure a considerable market share in the world market when it comes to ornamental fish industry in the world.

Singapore accounts for 35 percent market share in the global ornamental fish industry.

“Even though the country has ample resources, lack of air cargo facilities and direct flights to main ornamental fish export markets has hampered the growth of the industry”.

“Exporters have to use intermediate transits to export live fish wasting their more money and time,” Kumudini said.

There are over 60 ornamental fish exporters in the country and out these exporters, 40 exporters dispatch their products on a regular basis.