Export trend of Indian ornamental fish industry

Abstract

Inspite of having two hotspots of biodiversity India is way long back in the ornamental fish trade. Large number of species can only foster the needs of the industry. The study aims to (1) to find the various indigenous, exotic ornamental fish species and ornamental shrimp species being exported from India, (2) to provide an overview of the trends in the Indian ornamental fish export industry. 287 indigenous fish species, 92 exotic fish species and 44 ornamental shrimps have been found to get exported from India. The export trend of the industry for the past ten years shows a declining state which is also reflected in the annual and compound annual growth rate. Ornamental fish industry has enormous potential in tropical countries like India. To expand trade, new technologies and policies will have to be developed which will help in attaining a sustainable industry.