Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) Guide for Hobbyists/Travellers
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement to ensure that trade does not threaten wildlife species with extinction.
The Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus), or dragonfish as it is commonly known, is a protected species under CITES. Hence, any import or export/re-export of Asian Arowanas require CITES permits. The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), targeted at Travellers and Hobbyists, highlight commonly asked questions pertaining to the import and export/re-export of dragonfishes for personal effects.
1. How do I bring in an Asian Arowana from overseas (eg. Malaysia) into Singapore?
Only tagged, captive-bred Asian Arowanas (Scleropages formosus) from CITES-registered captive-breeding operations are allowed to be imported. The following are CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Singapore
i. Rainbow Aquarium Pte Ltd Lot 35-38 Sungei Tengah Agrotechnology Park Singapore
ii. Panda Aquatic Centre Pte Ltd Plot No. LCK 112, Mukim 12 Neo Tiew Crescent Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 710000
iii. Dragon Fish Industry 107 Neo Tiew Crescent LCK Agrotechnology Park Singapore 710000
iv. Singapore Arowana Breeding Farm Plot LCK 163 Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park
v. Wan Hu Fish Farm Trading 71 Jalan Lekar Sungei Tengah Singapore 698950
vi. Ong’s Tropical Fish Aquarium and Fresh Flowers 63 Pasir Ris Drive 12 Loyang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 518233
vii. Tung-Hu Aquarium Trading 20, Lim Chu Kang Lane 6F Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park Singapore 718866
Malaysia
i. Mr Ng Huan Tong (Xian Leng) 10, Jalan Jenang 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor
ii. Rainbow Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd. No. 34, Jalan Biru Muda Taman Bukit Pasir 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor
iii. King Kong Aquarium Importer and Exporter Lot 1602 Mukim Jasin Jasin District MELAKA
iv. Lake Ocean Aquarium Sdn. Bhd. 48, Jalan Kekabu 3 Taman Desa Cemerlang 81800 ULU TIRAM Johor Baharu
v. Kim Kang Aquaculture Trading No. 5, Jalan flora 4 Taman Flora 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor
vi. Everise Aquaculture 17A, Jalan Mengkudu Taman Makmur 83000 BATU PAHAT Johor
vii. HT Aquatics Sdn. Bhd. No. 8, Lot 1039,1040 & 1045 Sungei Moyan Batu Kawa 93250 KUCHING Sarawak
viii. KT Nyiur Aquaculture Farm Enterprise Kampung Ketiur Nyiur KUALA KANGSAR 33000 Perak
ix. Aqualeader Aquarium Corp. Sdn. Bhd. 118E Kampung Tengah 81850 LAYANG-LAYANG Johor
x. Wo Long Asian Dragon Corporates 1297 Jalan Putri 3/5 Taman Putri Kulai 81000 KULAI Johor
For a list of CITES-registered captive-breeding arowana farms from other countries, please go to the CITES website at http://www.cites.org under National Contacts>{country}.
CITES permits are required for the importation as the Asian Arowana is a protected species under CITES. Please note that CITES permits must be obtained from BOTH importing and exporting countries prior to the importation.
2. How do I apply for a Singapore CITES permit? Import applications must be accompanied by a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit from the exporting country. Applicant may fax a copy of the application form and a copy of the CITES export/re-export permit to the CITES Section (Fax: 6325 7646) at least ONE WEEK before the Arowana is brought in. The CITES permit may be collected on the 2nd working day from the date of application. Please ensure that the CITES permits from the exporting countries are issued by CITES Management Authorities or competent authorities.
3. How much is a CITES permit and where can I collect it? The fee for a Singapore CITES import/export/re-export permit is S$12 per species subject to a minimum of S$60. Fees may be paid through cheque, NETS or CashCard. No cash payment will be accepted. Payment by cheque should be made payable to the “Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority”. Each permit is valid for three months and for one time usage only.
CITES permits can be collected at the following address:
4. Are the procedures for bringing out an Asian Arowana the same as the import procedures? Procedures for exporting the dragonfish out from Singapore are similar to that of importing. However, when applying for a CITES export/re-export permit, applicants need only fax a copy of the application form duly filled up. Subsequently, the applicant is to separately apply for a CITES import permit from the country of import, using the Singapore CITES export/re-export permit to facilitate the application.
5. How many dragonfishes can I bring into/out of the country? Travellers/hobbyists are allowed to import/export/re-export not more than 1 dragonfish in not more than 3 litres of packing water per person.
6. Must I declare the dragonfish upon Customs checking? Yes. When entering Customs checkpoint, please proceed to the Red Channel and declare to the Customs Authority on the possession of a dragonfish. CITES documents are to be presented to the Customs Authority upon declaration of the dragonfish at the point of entry.
When bringing in the dragonfish, the original CITES export permit issued by the exporting country MUST be submitted to the CITES Section via mail or personally immediately after Customs clearance.
7. How do I know if a dragonfish that I bought from a pet shop/hobbyist is legal?
If the dragonfish is bought from one of the CITES-registered captive breeding farms, a Certificate of Identity bearing details such as the Farm Name and the microchip number for the fish etc, will be issued to you. When buying dragonfishes from pet shops, please note the following:
i. The pet shop has a license to retail dragonfishes, in addition to a fancy fish shop license. ii. Documents to certify the legality of the dragonfish, eg. Letter of Transfer from the CITES-registered captive breeding arowana farms to the pet shop. iii. Ensure that the dragonfish has its microchip number scanned and corresponds to that stated in the Letter of Transfer, Certificate of Identity etc before purchasing.
8. What happens if I bring in/out a dragonfish without CITES permits? The Endangered Species Act (Import and Export) Act is the national legislation that gives effect to CITES controls on import and export of CITES-listed wildlife and wildlife products.
In addition to the confiscation of the dragonfish, the import/export/re-export of CITES-listed species without CITES permits is a violation of Section 4(1) of the ESA, and offenders shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$5000 or to a jail term not exceeding 12 months or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$10000 or a jail term of 12 months or both.
Please note that the Certificate of Identity issued by foreign CITES-registered arowana farms does not warrant an exemption from CITES permits applications.
9. I have in possession a dragonfish without tag/ acquired illegally. What should I do? Possession of an illegally acquired arowana is a violation under ESA. The arowana is to be surrendered to the Ornamental Fish Section, AVA (Tel: 6751 9804).
10. Is is true that as long as Arowanas are microchipped and come with certificates of birth/identity issued by their breeding farms, they are legal and could be imported into Singapore and sold as pets? No, the Arowanas are not legal! Arowanas, besides being microchipped and accompanied with certificates of birth/identity could only be imported into Singapore provided a CITES import permit has been issued by AVA for their import. Enforcement action will be taken against the importer or owner who keeps Arowanas which are imported without a CITES permit issued by AVA.
11. Who can I contact if I have more queries on matters pertaining to import and export of dragonfishes? For further enquiries, please contact
Ornamental Fish Section Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority Sembawang Research Station Lorong Chencharu Singapore 769194 Tel: 6751 9804 Fax: 6759 5042/43