Local ornamental fish industry needs R and D

Indunil HEWAGE

The Sri Lankan ornamental fish industry needs to have industry related research and development activities to acquire a considerable market share in the world market.

"The country accounts for around three percent global market share in the ornamental fish category. It is vital to have packing technology improvements and sufficient direct flights facilities from Sri Lanka to the final market destination to get more profits from this sector.

Due to lack of direct flights from Sri Lanka to other foreign markets, Sri Lanka has to use transits to send these perishable items to the final market," Export Development Board Chairman Janaka Ratnayake told Daily news Business.

Sri Lanka is well known for exporting valuable and quality ornamental fish to various destinations in the world.

The demand for the Sri Lankan guppies and other fish varieties are increasing in the world market. In addition, breeding high value marine ornamental fish including sea horses brings huge income to the country.

Due to low packing density, the potential to export more fish from Sri Lanka to other countries has decreased while impacting the entire buyers profitability.

In addition, many entrepreneurs engaged in the ornamental fish industry are unable to expand or go to mass scale fish production in the face of lack of land, legal framework and other related issues. Currently the industry is mostly conducted as a family basis venture especially in the rural areas in the country.

There are around 15000 ornamental fish breeders in the country. Nearly 42 Sri Lankan exporters are engaged in sending ornamental fish to various foreign destinations on regular basis.

The main ornamental fish production areas in the country are Colombo, Chillaw, Polonnaruwa, Kalutara, Gampaha, Kurunegala and Kandy.

The total export earnings from Sri Lankan ornamental fish industry for the first eleven months in 2010 recorded US $ 7.48 million. The sector managed to record US $ 8.52 million ornamental fish export earnings in 2009.

The industry is highly sensitive to environmental changes and the recent floods have also impacted the industry's revenue considerably.

Sri Lankan entrepreneurs have also identified cultivating live corals as a hugely profitable venture and have requested permission from relevant authorities to commence this business.

Singapore is ranked number one in the ornamental fish exports in the world followed by Malaysia and Thailand due to its availability of direct flights to other destinations and high technology.