UNITED-STATES-OF-AMERICA TRADE IN ORNAMENTAL FISH

Citation
Fa. Chapman et al., UNITED-STATES-OF-AMERICA TRADE IN ORNAMENTAL FISH, Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 28(1), 1997, pp. 1-10
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Fisheries
ISSN journal
08938849
Volume
28
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1 - 10
Database
ISI
SICI code
0893-8849(1997)28:1<1:UTIOF>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Ornamental fish production is among the leading cash crops of the Unit ed States of America aquaculture economy, and retail value of the fish trade is worth approximately US$1,000 million. However, few studies e xist to document this trade. Using import and export documents we repo rt trends in total values for the U.S. trade in ornamental fish, Also, we determined the number and value of the most commonly imported orna mental fish. In 1992, approximately 201 million fish valued at $44.7 m illion were imported into the U.S. The port of Los Angeles handled 39% of all trade activity, Miami 22%, New York 16%, Tampa 6%, and Honolul u 6%. Freshwater fish accounted for approximately 96% of the total vol ume and 80% of the value of the imports. Most freshwater ornamental fi sh were farm-raised and imported from Southeast Asia. Most U.S. export s of ornamental fish were cultured in the state of Florida. Although s altwater fish had a high market value (20% of the declared value of th e imports), the volume of these fish was only 4%. Most imported and ex ported saltwater ornamental fish were collected from the wild. Of the 1,539 species declared as ornamental fish, 32 species dominated the tr ade. These were all of freshwater origin. The guppy Poecilia reticulat a and neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi were the most popular ornamental fish kept in U.S. households. The average prices paid for imported or namental freshwater fish were 35 cents for egg layers and 22 cents for live bearers. The results of this study document the importance of th e ornamental fish industry and identifies the most valuable species in the trade for potential domestic culture and protection in the wild.