BAGAN SERAI: A total of 1.5 million arowana fish of various species were exported abroad last year, says Fisheries Department director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain.

       He added that the department will assist operators in obtaining Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species permits and ensure they follow proper guidelines to allow them to export arowana abroad easily and boost the export figure in the future.

       “The types exported include hybrid, red, gold and albino, with high demand from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan,” he told reporters at an engagement event with arowana operators here yesterday.

       An arowana fish fry release was also held at Bukit Merah Lake as part of the engagement session, with 100 of them worth RM150,000 being released, Bernama reported.

       Adnan also shared that Perak is still the largest exporter of arowana for both domestic and foreign markets.

       “Besides Perak, Johor, Melaka and Selangor are among the four states actively producing on a large scale for market purposes.”