"Diplomatic" arowanas

"Well, a fish that one country regards as an ornamental species and the other as a food species: the silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum). This famous species has been popular among certain groups of fishkeepers for many years. The juveniles in particular are very attractive and interesting. As they grow, however, their predatory instincts (which are well developed from their youngest days) reach progressively higher levels, placing heavy demands on their owners. Adding to the challenges is the size that specimens can eventually attain: up to 1 metre in the largest individuals. Amazonian river communities do not regard this species as an ornamental fish; they hunt it and eat it. Accordingly, the Brazilian government department for the environment and natural resources (IBAMA) also regards the silver arowana as a 'commercial' or food species, rather than an ornamental one. In other words, it considers it to be primarily a species for human consumption and not for home aquaria. Colombia, on the other hand, considers it to be an ornamental species.So what's the problem? Can countries really become involved in a diplomatic incident over the definition of what constitutes an ornamental fish? Well, in this case apparently yes.The thing is that Brazil separates its freshwater fish species into two categories: ornamental fish and commercial or food fish. We may dispute the criteria employed, but the fact remains that only so-called ornamental species can be legally collected and exported from Brazil (at the moment, the legal or 'Positive List' stands at around 180 species). The silver arowana, along with numerous other species, among them well-known aquarium favourites like the oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) and the uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) does not fall into this category and cannot therefore be exported legally from the country.Next question: Why has this got anything to do with Colombia? Answer: In order to get to Leticia, the Colombian frontier town through which a large percentage of the country's ornamental fish pass, the boats carrying the fish have to navigate through Brazilian waters. It is here, therefore, that the problem arises because, while the fish may have been collected quite legally in Colombia and while they may be shipped out quite legally from Leticia, they are being illegally imported into and exported from Brazil during the part of the trip that occurs in Brazilian waters. Hence the diplomatic incident.This bureaucratic 'difference of…