Entrepreneur cracks ornamental fish market with global sales

NOT many people are aware of the existence of many unknown, special ornamental fish in Myanmar – fish that cannot be found in any other part of the world. One man, however, is the expert here and is enjoying increasing success.They first became known back in 1978 by entrepreneur U Mya Thein. Since then the fish have gained popularity due to their beauty and rareness and these days supply has failed to keep up with rocketing demand.Rare species of ornamental fishes include Botia Histronica, called Shwe-Sa-Yae. At three inches in size they are usually found in the fisheries of Upper Myanmar along the main course of the Ayeyarwady. Badis Burmanicus and another 40 species are now trying to take up a place for foreign markets.

Few people have attempted to culture these species locally mainly because the majority do not know how valuable they are in foreign markets. Local fishermen even turn them into Ngapi (fish paste).“Now forty-nine species of Myanmar tropical aquarium fishes are seasonally exported to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,” said U Mya Thein from Roy’s Aquacultural FAME Enterprise.“This month, I exported Botia Histronica to Malaysia,” he added.U Mya Thein, a former tourist guide, first became interested in ornamental fish when Andrew Werner, a German aquaculturist, came to Myanmar on a tour in1978. “He told me there were many unknown species here, especially in the Inle Lake.”

Consequently he became interested in raising these curiously small creatures and started studies in which part of Myanmar and in which season they could be caught. He tried to accumulate as much knowledge as possible by reading books under the guidance of U Tin Hlaing, former director-general of the Fisheries Department. He also tried to start this business with the General Food Merchandise Enterprise, a state-owned firm, in 1979 and get contact with foreign companies.Then, he joined Joint-Ventures Corporation 6 as a deputy general manager. He left that company in 1990 and in 1993 he established his own company. “I export only fresh water fish as they are easy to catch and are much sought after in foreign markets.“In Myanmar, I am the pioneer in ornamental fish caught from the wild. I have been received awards three times including the 11th international Europe Award for Quality in 1997, but I could not go to Spain to receive those awards because of expenses.
Badis Burmanicus – popular in Malaysia and Thailand
“When an order arrives from abroad I get my suppliers, who are local fishermen from Inle Lake, Pantanaw, Hinthada and Bagan to catch the species we want.October to May is the best time for catching these fish,” he said.Two or three fishermen are employed by the company at each location and they use different kinds of bamboo traps, cast nets and drop nets.The fish are then air-freighted in oxygen-filled plastic bags to Yangon and then to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand after being carefully packed.He said wild fish were healthier and stronger than the bred fish. “Foreign customers prefer them.”“So our business is not breeding of fish, but catching them from the wild and exporting.“A customer may order 100,000 fish; but we are able to sell only about 40 or 50 thousands.

“According to order, over 100,000 fish are exported every year,” he said.The most popular species in Myanmar for foreign market are Upsidedown cat fish, known as Ngar-Pat-Lat, Botis Histrionica and Sawbwa Resplendens.“Since 1978 we have sold aquarium fish worth more than US$100,000. They range in prices from US$5 to US$10. The price of cheap fish like Barb and Mini Cat is US$5 per 100.To create more business U Mya Thein said he would like to advertise on the world wide web page. “Our fish exports will then be more successful.”