Ornamental fish bringing more money to HCMC

By Thi Ha April 14, 2023 | 06:03 pm PT

A farmer recording a video of his ornamental fish as an advertisement. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai

Ho Chi Minh City has exported 4.12 million ornamental fish so far this year, earning $4.28 million, an increase of 1% in value over the same period last year.

Ornamental fish trading is one of the city’s six main industries, said Le Ton Cuong, Deputy Director of Fisheries Sub-Department at the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, supply output has been decreasing. Ornamental fish supply output was 37.4 million fish since early this year, down 11.3%.

Cuong said the output slump is because fish farms are scaling down due to inflation, low demand, and the global economic recession.

According to the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development statistics, in the 2010-2019 period, the city’s total ornamental fish output rose by 15% on average each year, from 60 million fish in 2010 to 205 million in 2019.

The output dropped 50% in 2021 to only 100 million fish due to impacts of Covid-19.

HCMC now houses 90 hectares of ornamental fish farms, with nearly 300 fish farming households.

HCMC’s ornamental fish are exported to 50 markets. The E.U. accounts for 60%. The Asian, American, Middle Eastern and South African markets make up the rest.