48-hour race: How ornamental fish are shipped abroad from Singapore

Sunrise Aquarium is one of the players in a highly specialised industry in Singapore. The city-state is one of the world’s top exporters of ornamental fish, which are reared or marketed for their beauty or exotic characteristics, rather than for consumption.

These aquatic gems – such as mollies, guppies, goldfish and koi – are shipped across the globe, with the United States being a primary destination.

Singapore has traditionally been a one-stop shop for customers who do not want to buy ornamental fish from multiple sources.

Industry players here typically import fish from the region, which they either rear or breed for re-export.

According to the United Nations Comtrade Database, Singapore’s export value for ornamental fish in 2023 was around US$33.8 million (S$45.5 million), behind Japan’s US$48.3 million. At its peak in 2008, the Republic’s export figure was US$69 million.

In recent years, high operating costs and expiry of land leases have led to many players exiting the scene.

According to the National Parks Board, there are more than 90 companies that are licensed to import and export ornamental fish. Over 30 of them also breed or raise the fish.

After its land lease in Lim Chu Kang expired in 2022, Sunrise Aquarium moved to Chencharu Link, where it currently operates out of a shared space with Sunbeam Aquarium, another ornamental fish exporter.

“We have no more farm to do breeding,” says Madam Choo.

The grandmother of four runs the daily operations with her younger sister and 14 staff, having transformed the fish farm into a trading company for ornamental fish.

They import the fish mainly from Malaysia and Indonesia. Some of their more popular breeds include mollies, gouramis, swordtails, platies and barbs. A molly, commonly seen in home aquariums, can retail from $2 to $50, but rare species like the platinum blue eye can cost $100 or even more.

Sunrise Aquarium exports more than 50 species. Most of its clients are in the US, and about 10 per cent are in European countries such as the Netherlands.

While the exporter also uses commercial airlines to deliver its fish, it has worked with parcel delivery giant FedEx for close to a decade, as about half of its clients in the US request the courier.

But shipping live ornamental fish is a race against time.

The challenge lies in getting them safely in the hands of clients in the US within 48 hours from the moment they are packed.

At Sunrise Aquarium, the fish are packed in hundreds of appropriately sized polythene bags, each containing just the right amount of water to limit sloshing and to prevent air sickness.

The fish are also double-bagged to reduce the risk of punctures and leakage. The bags are designed to retain oxygen for 48 hours and are highly resistant to tear, ensuring the survival of the fish during transit.

With the clock ticking, sweat-soaked workers secure the bags of fish with a clip machine and place them in styrofoam boxes that provide insulation during the long journey. The styrofoam boxes are fit inside sturdy cardboard cartons to prevent shifting.

The workers can pack 70 to 80 cartons in an hour – from changing the water and pumping oxygen to sealing the bags in cartons.

The number of fish in each carton varies based on the species.

The cartons are loaded into a dedicated FedEx truck reserved for transporting live fish so they are not mixed with other goods.

The truck then proceeds to the FedEx gateway at Changi Airport. The journey takes about an hour, with no stops or detours to minimise stress on the fish.

At the gateway, the cartons undergo security checks using handheld X-ray scanners instead of the standard conveyor belt X-rays. This reduces vibration and stress on the fish.

Businesses can also opt for each carton to be tagged with a FedEx Surround monitoring and tracking device.

This provides real-time updates, including predictive delay alerts and shipment location.

The container is the last to be loaded into the FedEx aircraft and among the first to be offloaded upon arrival at the destination to minimise waiting time.

In the event of a flight delay, FedEx notifies the ornamental fish exporter immediately. The fish are returned to the facility, where they are repacked the following day to maintain optimal health.

“Delays beyond 48 hours can have serious consequences. It takes precision, care and close coordination to manage every step of the journey, including contingency planning for flight delays,” says Mr Eric Tan, managing director of FedEx Singapore.

“We ensure these delicate shipments move swiftly and reliably across borders. Our priority is making sure they arrive safely, every week.”

It is a business built on trust. Most of Madam Choo’s clients have been with her for 20 to 30 years.

Still, uncontrollable factors – like weather or rerouted flights – can affect the mortality rate of the fish and put business ties at risk.

Any delay can result in up to thousands of dollars in claims against Sunrise Aquarium.

“When weather is involved, we are scared. When rerouting is involved, we are also very scared,” says Madam Choo, who makes shipments at least four to five times a week, all year round.

An average mortality rate of 5 per cent per shipment is generally acceptable, she says.

A recent shipment to Florida took 38 hours from the time the fish were packed until they reached the consignee.

Did they make it?

“No news is good news,” says Madam Choo with a smile.