Providing the world with tropical fish

The interest in animals goes back in the family. Jorge Sanchez, the founder of the company, was a dedicated scientist who undertook a number of expeditions up the Amazon. After World War II, he created an aquarium in Lima housing many tropical fish, which became a tourist attraction in the late 1950s. The many sightseers included visitors from Holland, who expressed an interest in importing various tropical fish into their native country. Thus Aquarium Lima was born, and business flourished. Fish were first exported to the USA in the early 1960s, and later to Europe as well. However, the business only really took off when Carlos Sanchez, son of the company’s founder, took the reins in 1986. Fish from Aquarium Lima are now to be found all over the world. The price list includes over 620 types of tropical fish, more than 90 cold water varieties and a large selection of aquarium plants. The main markets include the USA, Asia (above all Japan), Europe and Central and South America.
Over 7 000 aquaria and tanks
Aquarium Lima has over 7 000 aquaria and tanks. The company operates from two river-based centres at Lquitos and Pucallpa. The main aquarium is situated in Lima. Fish are bought from local Amazonian fishermen, collected from the native people and kept in holding facilities at Lquitos and Pucallpa, then shipped by air to Lima where they remain for another three or four weeks in quarantine before being flown to buyers around the world. Although Aquarium Lima is constantly bringing out new fish, the company adheres strictly to the laws governing the protection of endangered species. A more annoying factor is that many trans-shippers operating in the Peruvian market do not handle the fish with anything like the same care as Aquarium Lima.
Huge breeding centre planned
 The high season in production is normally from April to January, when the rivers have normal water levels. In February and March, rain increases the water levels of all rivers in the jungle, making the collection of live tropical fish more difficult. To avoid this problem of the low season, Aquarium Lima has artificial lagoons in many parts of the jungle, where various kinds of fish are stored especially for the rainy season.
“In order to retain the interest of the international markets, our industry also needs to consider offering fish from other zones”, says director Carlos Sanchez. At the moment his company is planning a complete breeding centre in a new jungle zone in the south of Peru, with…