New import rules

[mattgoanna]

What is your prediction for the impact of quarantine changes next year?

Based on information on the Aquarium Industries web-site and talking to a number of importers, there will be new quarantine requirements in 2015 that will result in large numbers of fish needing to be accompanied a health certificate to state that they are free of Megalocytivirus. This includes discus and angelfish.

The Australian government is obviously implementing this in order to protect our native wildlife, so this is a positive thing and clearly they believe it is necessary. I don’t wish to get into debating the need, but it could be a good idea to explore the impact.

Logic would tell you that there is likely to be costs associated with finding fish proven to be free of Megalocytivirus. Exporters will need to sacrifice fish to be tested for the virus before they are allowed into Australia. They indicate that of 20 fish being exported, 19 will need to be sacrificed for sampling, 31 of 40, 45 of 100 and 51 of 200 to a maximum of 59 out of 4108 fish ordered per species. You can see from this that you may need to import bulk shipments for this to be financially viable, depending on the cost of fish and tests. There are also animal welfare implications and it may be that some breeders and exporters decide not to participate and customers may stop purchasing fish as a result of these concerns.

According to the Aquarium Industries web-site, the European Union countries, including Germany, are not intending to participate and by implication will no longer send fish subject to these conditions.
In recent times we have seen large numbers of quality discus available at reasonable prices and have also seen the number of wild discus and true altum angelfish increase. While most of the wild discus and captive altums are acquired by the big importers (via Germany), many of the domestic discus and wild altums are coming in via smaller specialist importers and mostly from Asia.

I do wonder if the costs and reduced number of exporting countries associated with this change will start to reduce the number of smaller specialist importers and also result in wild discus and altums being less likely to be imported. The same would apply to wild African cichlids.

While there is no way or knowing the true impact, it is timely to consider these changes in the run up to implementation. I will certainly be reluctant to part with any of my wild discus until I see what the future brings.

[jimstreet]

I have also read and am concerned with what will happen with wild discus. I was hoping to start a wild discus tank when I have the hang of my Forrest discus. Sadly I may not get the chance...

Oh and post some pics of your wilds

[mattgoanna]

a wild red blue. Was not in great condition when I got it, but fins have now grown back

[sunshinediscus]

What is your prediction for the impact of quarantine changes next year?

Discus and other interesting species will no longer be imported.

I am one of those small time importers bringing in about 6 shipments a year of high quality discus. My discus are domestics from Malaysia. I doubt any exporters in Malaysia (or anywhere) would gain certification and do what is required to maintain certification. Every 6 months, tests for the virus need to be performed at the export station, plus all of his suppliers fish will need to be certified every 6 months. This is a tremendous burden on the suppliers, for what is the tiny market of Australia. It simply won't happen!

Sorry for the doom and gloom prediction, but there is an upside, fish farming might become a lucrative business in Oz.

Rod

Fishmania

[mattgoanna]

Thanks Rod
It is good to get the view of an importer. I suspect there are a few importers still overly optimistic about all this.
I like the idea of the fish breeding in Australia becoming more lucrative, but we will need a few brave people to spend the money on setting up the facilities to make it a reality.

[jimstreet]

Sorry for the doom and gloom prediction, but there is an upside, fish farming might become a lucrative business in Oz.

Not with the price of water and unreliability of rain...

[sunshinediscus]

Thanks Rod
It is good to get the view of an importer. I suspect there are a few importers still overly optimistic about all this.
I like the idea of the fish breeding in Australia becoming more lucrative, but we will need a few brave people to spend the money on setting up the facilities to make it a reality.

Yeah, for sure, i have talked with a few other importers i know, and had conversations about this matter with AQIS officers, and opinions vary greatly. No-one knows exactly how it will play out. I hope i am wrong, i fear the loss of many fishes.

There already are professional breeders up here in Queensland (and other areas i'm sure), not breeding discus particularly, but many of the other species of concern such as the livebearers, gourami and cichlids. Since this is a thread about predictions, allow me to make one more, and that is the void will be filled by local supplies. But it will take time, and it will be very different to how it is now!

[sunshinediscus]

Not with the price of water and unreliability of rain...

Nah, fish breeders are an ingenious lot. Its interesting to note that the largest discus farm in the world is in a country which is colder than us, and has high utility costs as well. The Stendkers in Germany is the company i am thinking of. We can utilize the technology these breeders in these countries are using, instead of the technology we have been using. Discus are the perfect candidate for intensive indoor culture imo, they have a high value to size ratio and grow really fast in the right hands.

[Nathan]

I really am concerned this will further limit our variety of wild imports as mentioned previously we are a very small market in the global trade and being g so far away adds the expense of shipping.

Although if this means we can start seeing more local industrial breeders that may in fact bring current prices down, time will be the answer!!

[clarkey]

I just wish I had a spare couple hundred thousand laying around Rod to set it up, my dream business!