CHINA: HONG KONG FISHBREEDERS DISPLAY THEIR GIANT GOLDFISH MEASURING 37 CM / 15 INCHES LONG

Record ID: 847578

  • Title: CHINA: HONG KONG FISHBREEDERS DISPLAY THEIR GIANT GOLDFISH MEASURING 37 CM / 15 INCHES LONG
  • Date: 18th January 2002
  • Summary: (L3) DONGGUAN, CHINA (JANUARY 18, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS OF LOUIS CHAN HOLDING THE GIANT RED ORANDA CALLED BRUCE IN FISHING NET (5 SHOTS) VARIOUS, GOLDFISH SWIMMING IN WATER SCU SOUNDBITE (Cantonese) LOUIS CHAN, FISH BREEDER SAYING: "I start to think about this project about five years ago, but I wasn't sure if there is such world record. Every fish breeder dreams of owning the biggest fish, so I started to think about breeding the biggest goldfish." VARIOUS, LOUIS CHAN HOLDING A BLACK AND WHITE RANCHU FISH IN FISHING NET (3 SHOTS) VARIOUS, THE RED ORANDA AND BLACK AND WHITE RANCHU SWIMMING IN POOL WIDE/ PAN OF THE FISH FARM SLV JACKIE CHAN WALKING WITH REPORTER SCU WHITE AND GOLD GOLDFISH SLV /SMV JACKIE CHAN SHOWING SOME GOLDFISH TO REPORTER VARIOUS LOUIS CHAN HOLDING PANDA GOLDFISH SCU SOUNDBITE (Cantonese) JACKIE CHAN, FISH BREEDER SAYING: "There are many goldfish species with different size and colour. So it can satisfy all kinds of goldfish lovers because of the huge variety." WIDE OF WORKERS SELECTING GOLDFISH FOR EXPORT SMV , WORKER TRANSFERRING FISH FROM ONE TANK TO ANOTHER VARIOUS, OF WORKERS PUTTING GOLDFISH INTO PLASTIC CONTAINER AND PUMPING OXYGEN VARIOUS, WORKERS PACKING GOLDFISH FOR SHIPPING
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • City:
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Environment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAAJV67I199KT34VKL20HDZZVUZ
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Two Hong Kong fish breeders are angling for a place in the Guinness Book of Records with a giant goldfish the size of an average house cat.
    "Bruce", more formally known as a Red Oranda, measures 37.2 cm (15 in) long and is big enough and strong enough to give any hungry tabby second thoughts.
    Scooping up the writhing orange bundle with both hands, Louis Chan beamed and attributed Bruce's bulk to selective breeding, a good diet and plenty of exercise.
    "Every fish breeder dreams of owning the biggest fish,"
    said Louis as he and his brother Jackie showed off the grounds of their large fish farm in Dongguan in China's Guangdong province.
    Guinness has no category for the longest goldfish, but the Chans secured a certificate of authentication from Chinese officials late last year and are confident Bruce will eventually win a place.
    The brothers are among a group of fish breeding pioneers from Hong Kong who moved their farms in the 1980s to southern China, where land and labour costs are far cheaper.
    The Chans are set to make more waves in June when they release a new hybrid goldfish they successfully bred last year.
    "Behind every successful new breed is five or six failures," said Louis as he held up the black and white Ranchu -- a variety of goldfish without dorsal fins.
    "It takes at least three years to get a new variety," said Jackie, who together with his brother have bred more than 20 new varieties of goldfish in the last two decades.
    Their farm is one of the biggest in China, breeding more than 100 of the 300 goldfish varieties known in the country.
    Almost all their fish are exported, with the United States and Europe taking more than 50 percent.
    Goldfish are believed to have originated in China, where records dating back to 300 A.D. contain references to them.
    The Chinese, in particular, prize the brightly coloured fish as a symbol of wealth and abundance.
    Goldfish breeding spread to Japan around 1500 and then to Britain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands in the 18th century with the flourishing of international trade.
    The Chans took the serious fish breeding world by storm when they unveiled a black and white butterfly-tail Moor in 1984. The fish can command prices of up to 8,000 Hong Kong dollars (HKD) (1,025 U.S. dollars) each with some fetching more than 10,000 HKD.
    Unlike the new Ranchu, the Moor has clearly delineated patches, which later earned it the nickname "panda goldfish".
    Despite the economic downturn, the brothers have kept export revenues steady at around 20 HKD million in the last few years, thanks to selective breeding and steady supply of new varieties.
    Worldwide trade in aquarium and ornamental fish easily totals hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.
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