Malaysia's ornamental fish trade started off in the 1950s with the marketing of wild-caught fish to its neighbour, Singapore. Today, the trade is considered one of the fastest growing agriculture sectors in the country. From 18 fish farms in the 1980s, that number has grown to over 500 in recent years. Producing 456 million ornamental fishes, worth some US$28 million in 2004, Malaysia is the third largest producer of ornamental fish in the world.
According to figures provided by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, the country produces more than 250 types of fish, comprising both indigenous species and others from around the world, such as South America and Africa.
From 1995 to 2003, the exporting of ornamental fish from Malaysia grew from 68.5 million a year to 339 million a year. This translated into the value of trade growing from US$4.4 million to US$18.9 million during these nine years, an impressive 300 per cent increase.
In 2004 alone, Malaysia produced 456 million ornamental fish of which 95 per cent were exported.
Currently, the majority of Malaysia’s exports are headed for Singapore, followed closely by Japan, with these countries importing 26 per cent and 21 per cent respectively. Hong Kong, the US, the UK and Italy are other places where Malaysia-produced fish end up.
While most of the supply for the industry comes from local producers, Malaysia also relies on imports to meet demand. Indonesia is its top supplier, followed by Taiwan, Ornamental Fish Production in Malaysia Thailand, China and the US.
The domestic market for the industry is also rather encouraging, with five per cent of fishes produced being absorbed locally, having an estimated value of US$1.5 million. This is due to the fact that the keeping of ornamental fish is a popular hobby in Malaysia.
Popular Fishes
Cyprinids, like barbs, danios, rasboras, goldfish and koi, are the top fish produced in Malaysia. No fewer than 114 million were produced in 2004, making up 25 per cent of the country’s ornamental fish production.
Poeciliids, with the likes of mollies, guppies, platies and swordtails, are next, followed by characins, i.e. tetras, silver dollars and their relatives. The osteoglossids or bonytongues, though small in percentage (0.02 per cent in 2004), are considered a very valuable group, as the dragon fish or Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), pearl arowana (Scleropages jardinii), black arowana (Osteoglossum ferreirai) and silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) can all command premium prices for the right specimens. Depending on their quality and variety, prices per specimen can cost between US$50 to US$5,000.
The country’s largest breeder and exporter of Asian arowanas or dragon fish, Xian Leng Holding Bhd., produced some 12,000 fish in 2004, which accounted for over 80 per cent of Xian Leng’s revenue. And…for the first half of 2005, the Johor-based breeder posted a revenue of RM 26.9 million (US$ 7.2 million).
Malaysia aims to be a prominent centre for ornamental fish production, as ornamental fishes have been identified among other commodities produced by the country to be given priority, with measures being implemented to increase production by 2010. The plan is to achieve an expected output of 800 million fishes by then. This output has an estimated value of some US$ 40 million. The director of the Malaysia Fisheries, Aquaculture Development Division, has said that the industry would be developed using a cluster approach to expand local production and export markets under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-10).
Three clusters have been identified, with each cluster specialising in certain fish species. The first cluster, in the state of Penang and Kedah, will concentrate on breeding discus. The second, made up of the northern states of Perak and Selangor, will focus on goldfish and koi. And, finally, the third cluster, consisting of Johor in the south, will concentrate on the various arowanas and other species.
In order for Malaysia to achieve its 2010 target, the industry will need to prepare for changes. This will include the use of modern technology and more productive inputs. With the new trade park, there will also be more room for enhanced research in biotechnology to create ornamental fish with interesting new colours, fin developments, body patterns and special pigmentations. In addition, more research will go into increasing the fishes’ immunity against diseases and the rate at which they grow and mature.
Infrastructure Advantage
Malaysia also has a network of five Quarantine and Fish Health Centres at major entry and exit points throughout the country. This allows it to control the accidental introduction of harmful fish pathogens.
The country’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport has modern facilities, where there is proper handling of shipments to ensure that the fish arrive safely at their destinations.
For the export of live fish, the authorities also ensure that all exports have the proper documentation and health certification, as well as proper CITES permits for species listed under the CITES Appendices.
Promoting Malaysia
Malaysia has also been actively promoting the country’s ornamental fish at international trade events, with Malaysian aquaculture companies and the Fisheries Department participating at the French International Pet Industry Trade Show in Paris and Aquarama in Singapore.
This year it will be holding the first Malaysian International Ornamental Aquatic Industry Exhibition and Conference – Malaysia AquaFair 2006 - in Kuala Lumpur in November. The Malaysian authorities hope that this will provide the exhibitors with a perfect platform for the world to get a close-up view of the Malaysian ornamental aquatic industry.
With 2010 less than four years away, it looks like Malaysia is already in high gear, racing towards its target of 800 million fishes per year and, with the authorities providing the industry with the necessary assistance, that mark certainly seems to be an attainable goal.
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