As Sri Lanka’s ornamental fish (O-fish) exports discovered promising new markets in 2013, the country’s first ever Global O-Fish Confab went live on 10 Monday with the presence of renowned int’l industry leaders and top government Ministers-and Sri Lanka’s O-Fish policies are developed with environmental sustainability and endemic species in mind. “Considering our government’s initiatives, I believe that there is no need to worry about our fish varieties going into “Red Lists.” What is important is that promising new global markets have begun to open for our ornamental fishes in 2013. The profitable new markets come from the Middle-East-Qatar, Iran and Lebanon who have strongly increased their demand for the first time in 2013” said Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of industry and Commerce) on 10 November.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the landmark first Sri Lankan International Ornamental Fish Trade Conference 2014 (SLIOFT) inaugurated on 10 November at Galadari Hotel, Colombo. The two day SLIOFT sessions in Colombo are co-organised by EDB, INFOFISH and Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, feature a plenary session with three other sessions and a filed visit by international delegates to a Lankan ornamental fishery farm located in Handapangoda on 11 November. Also joining on 10 November were Dr Abdul Basir Kunhimohammed (Director - INFOFISH) and Dr Gerald Bassleer (President-Ornamental Fish Association), Rajitha Senarathna (Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development),  V A D L Wasantha Perera (Dy. Minister of Industry & Commerce),  Susantha Punchinilame (Dy. Minister of Economic Development), Sarath Gunarathne (Dy.  Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development),  Anura Siriwardena (Secretary, Ministry of Industry & Commerce), Dr D M P Dissanayake, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources  Development,  Bandula Egodage (Chairman and CEO of EDB), Beth S Crawford (FAO Representative, Sri Lanka), top officials from EDB, and other fishery stakeholders.

“Today this event is held as two important developments are seen in our aquaculture industries.  One development is about the concerns expressed by some environment activists about emerging “Red Lists”, the other being it becoming an export trend-setter. The Idea is that as we supply more fish some of native fish varieties are threatened with extinction and enter the “red list”’ said Minister Bathiudeen and added: “While this is a possibility the government is not blind to this trend and already started taking positive steps. In fact, of the 90 varieties of Lankan freshwater fish, 50 are considered to be “endemic to Sri Lanka” about which we all are well aware of. As per the committed vision of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa our President the Government will intervene in securing new technology to provide information and incentives to the medium and small scale ornamental fish entrepreneurs to access the international markets. In fact on behalf of our ornamental fish producers let me commend His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa for his many unprecedented initiatives to safeguard Sri Lanka’s aquaculture in the Budget 2015. The total value of these budgetary initiatives are almost $ 2Mn. We also usually enforce certain ornamental fish import certificate requirements to safeguard our existing fish base. The EDB has launched six ornamental fishery projects in Polonnaruwa District to expand this base. Therefore considering these initiatives I believe that there is no need to worry about our fish varieties going into “Red Lists.” The other development is that this sector has become a trend-setter in our journey towards becoming a premium product supplier to the high end of the global markets. 40 regular exporting companies in Sri Lanka have successfully taken 2.7% share of the $ 400 million global market. In 2013 Sri Lanka exported $10.7 million of ornamental fish. This $10.7 million is an increase of a strong 41% from 2012’s exports. US UK Germany Japan and France were our top five buyers. What is important is that promising new global markets have begun to open for our ornamental fishes in 2013. The profitable new markets come from the Middle-East. They are Qatar, Iran and Lebanon who have strongly increased their demand for our ornamental fish in 2013 for the first time. Among other new markets were Switzerland, Spain and Taiwan.”

Dr Gerald Bassleer (President-Ornamental Fish Association), declared: “I have been in this industry for 37 years. Since my last visit to the country 20 years ago, I have seen big changes here. The quality of Lankan O-Fish now is one of the best in the world. We clearly see the great quality of Lankan live fish arriving in our ports-with high survival rates, with diverse range of colour and a good price. The secret for Sri Lanka’s success is the on-going quality controls implemented within fish farms itself with support from your government.”

Bandula Egodage (Chairman & CEO-EDB), addressing the event, said: “The EDB assisted quarantine quality assurance for 26 main exporters, focusing on the survival quality and lowering Dead on Arrival (DoA) rates of our live fish. With the intervention of Sri Lankan Air Force Commander, new initiatives have been introduced to deliver live fish stocks without opening them while at transit, so that DoA rates are lowered even further.”

The 10-11 November SLIOFT will also focus on recent advances in different sub sectors like O-Fish farming, health, live fish survival rates and methods in exports, etc. More than 200 local and international delegates from Sri Lanka, Singapore, Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Norway Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, and Australia are taking part in the two day sessions in Colombo.