February 4, 2006
ornamental fish, anyone?
With more people decorating their homes or offices with aquarium, ornamental fishes are becoming a good business to plunge into.
Certainly, there is a big business potential for aquarium fishes both locally and abroad because the country lacks production and that pet shops have to import exotic fishes from other countries.
According to Westly Rosario, chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- National Integrated Fisheries and Development Center (BFAR-NIFDC) in Dagupan City, there are only 15 commercial-scale producers of ornamental fishes in the Philippines, and the production is not even enough to penetrate the export market.
“There is a certain volume to be reached, but the ornamental fish raisers do not produce enough and are not organized to meet the volume,” Rosario explained.
The NIFDC is willing to extend technical assistance to persons interested in the production of aquarium fishes, and even sells breeders at a cost much lower than the pet shops.
