I say it again, after saying it in part 1: I'm proud to be Brazilian. It makes teardrops of emotion and pride fall to see how many serious and well informed people, native and foreigner, are involved with the survival of this market and the survival of the livelihood of so many of our simple and brave Amazonian people. Once again I must say how well done both parts were. It's also nice to see many Brazilian university professors involved as a sign of trust in those good practices and respect to our own people's livelihood. I wish my country to be this powerful symbol of good trade and strong conservancy and hope this trail to be followed by many other good people, both native and foreigner. If such good practices of well being were widespread all over the world our hobby would be much better today. Unfortunately, bad stocking, feeding, overall handling and tons of inbreeding are making many fish species to be fragile and disease prone. Take dwarf gouramis for instance. It is so hard to keep those fish alive for more than 3-4 months in a well established and stable tank that several people around the world are not buying them anymore. Here in Brazil we don't import them from Asia like US and Europe do (and suffer with that mortal Iridovirus disease) because of so many local breeders selling them throughout the country. But even so, the fish is very fragile. In a couple of months there's sores appearing, scales missing and so on. It's years and years of inbreeding. It is a matter of time for the other fish species to get the same fate and then...we will REALLY have only a colorful fish wallpaper in our computers to look at. Anyway...congratulations on this wonderful work and iniciatives! Greetings from Brazil!
Thank you for the great information. Very happy you enjoyed the documentary. Regulations for the export of aquarium fish in Brazil is very strict unlike some other South American nations. So I believe that is yet another reason to be a proud Brazilian.
I just bought 10 cardinal tetras a few days ago and this two part documentary has been so eye opening. I have a way bigger appreciation for the fish, the hobby, and the conservation of the Amazon
@@alexolson9680 Not true. Maybe if wild caught but I bet even those at Wet Spot are aclamated to their water. I have water at almost a PH of 8. My cardinals spawned a month ago. I think they liked the soft moss that I had just got on AquaBid.
Wow... I always thought that buy 'wild fish' was a bad for the natural habitats. This documentary have changed totally my way to see the matter... and all the hobby in general. Thanks for these wonderful documentaries.
Thank you for posting these two videos. I have been an aquarist for over 50 years, and, following a career in academia, I spent a few years exporting fish from Lake Tanganyika in what was then Zaire, so I also gained some insight into the trade. I tried to make my operation as sustainable as possible but because of the practices of other collectors on the lake certain populations of cichlids, especially Tropheus, became vulnerable to over-collecting. Unlike the diverse and widespread Amazon tributaries, the lake shores are easily accessible and many Tropheus species are narrowly distributed, thus making them very vulnerable. Often was the time when my divers returned without any Tr. species saying ' the fish are not there'. This unregulated collecting practice may have given rise to the movement to ban the import of wild-caught fishes. I have been a keeper of Amazonian fishes for more years than I care to remember, and have always spared a thought for the collectors. It is pleasing to see that they are on their way to getting more money for their efforts, and that the trade they supply is non-destructive and sustainable. I, for one, don't mind paying a bit more for my wild-caught Apistogrammas knowing that they will be available in the future, and that the trade will not collapse.
Sustainability is the key. If local fishermans don't understand that, the business won't last and some species could even disappear. That's why Piaba project is so awesome.
@@DavidPerez-eu1tt Not quite! Where I was operating from, Kalemie, had a large military presence and I was always being hassled for money. I was robbed at gunpoint on the border at Uvira. One of my neighbors was shot when she refused to hand over the keys to her vehicle. Bored soldiers would turn up at the fish house and just hang around waiting for a handout. The police would stop and 'fine' me for some made up traffic violation and we all lived in fear of the next rampage by the army, who were often not paid for months by Mobutu. The electricity went off in 1994 and never came back on, so I had to import generators to keep the fish alive, import duty was 100%, sending the cost of the fishes up. The best time I had was when I was diving on my days off, studying the fish behaviour and cataloging the species I encountered.
amazing documenery. watched both parts instead of finishing my homework and it was well worth it. amazes me how people can still leave comments bashing the wild fish after all the facts were laid out in both videos. I suppose many didn't watch or are more motivated by feelings over the facts. loved the series great job
As the producer, I welcome comments which disagree with any of the points made within the film. Those comments would help this audience understand the range of opinions about the wild caught aquarium fish trade. However I have removed 3 comments because they were personally abusive to some specific people in the film. Some of those comments had interesting points to make but included unnecessary insults.
@@Drquimbaymatumbo Not every fish is gonna survive and be perfect buddy. It’s what happens in life🤦🏽♂️ Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, it’s what anyone should reasonably expect..
@Jcron13 mate..... i used to buy load of south american fish...never had an issue...last few years, suddenly they all die. Im convinced its them cutting overheads. I literally lost a lovely l24 this weekend too... its not husbandry because every other fish in tank is literally perfect.
I absolutely loved this documentary. The research and dedication it took to create it is self-evident. It has certainly helped me appreciate my hobby and the dedication to facilitate it even more.
Perfection with an educational component that was a must for the hobby and for the long term sustainability of this amazing place called the Amazon. Thank you again! Well done!
I have watched part 1 and now part 2 and I just wish I could live there and help sustain such a beautiful and rich culture. We are so blessed to have this resource and this video really hit home with me! Excellent
Thank you for the accurate fact packed information in these two vlogs. As a reasonably informed aquarist. You opened the scope of my knowledge considerably. Most of my comments on part one continue to be valid. Some now to a lesser extent. Thank you again for the insight. They way forward as with anything worthwhile is going to be difficult to put it mildly. But with work achievable. The threat from extreme animal rights groups cannot be underestimated. Brainwashing the already delusional. There have already been people purchasing goldfish and freshwater tropical fish to free them into the safety of sea water. They unfortunately are the intellectual equivalent of gills on camels.
Excellent production ! Back in the day I was a small tropical fish importer who travelled to Manaus to meet with the fisherman/collectors and the exporters. I taught them a few very simple ways to improve their husbandry techniques which greatly impacted the health of the fish being imported in robust condition and virtually ended mortality. This is KEY to success and profitability.
I was mildly aware of these issues and problems, but I wasn't aware of all the good action and the strive to make the industry efficient and sustainable! I just hope this reaches more people and makes everyone aware of how positive can outweigh the negative in the hobby! I just hope more documentaries like this are done, the in depth cross-section view is soooooo unusual and wonderful!
Its nice to know that the communities thrive on the wildcaught fish we like in our aquariums. loved this documentary! I wish i could do more for peservation of the amazon.
Excellent documentary, a must-watch for any hobbyist. All of this information is so important and it being presented in a high-effort and thoughtful documentary like this makes me so happy.
Thank you for making and sharing this in a manner that will allow the important message contained within be shared to so many more than would otherwise happen. Love it!
I really like this video, which talks about the amazon and fish, so we can know a little about the amazon and its aquatic ecosystem.. I already like and subscribe.. thanks.. SALAM DARI INDONESIA 🇮🇩🇮🇩🙏
Love this film... Watched part 1 and part 2 back to back... As I am a Hobbiest and in same business I support this as long as those spicies r not over harvested and endangered spicies are not captured or smuggled. In future I would love to visit Brazil and see with my own eyes..
@@MAZONMICROCOSM oh yah, just a question that run into my mind, why isn’t there more aqua eco tourism? (aquarium keepers from the “first world” would come and spend money there to see fish and habitats…)
@@rrrrrr-ry3cn There are very few aquarium hobbyists who visit Amazonas specifically for aqua ecotourism. I have run some trips to the fishing grounds up the Rio Negro and to exporters in Manaus. We travel by boat, snorkel in the streams and film the huge diversity of fish species. We also observe the Piabeiros at work and hang in local communities. For over 20 years Project Piaba also offers an annual trip every January which co-incides with the Ornamental Fish Festival in Barcelos. If you want more info ( email ) amazonmicrocosm@gmail.com
Thank you so much for sharing this. Really appreciate the complex nature of this collection and how it can help in protection of the natural habitat. I hope this is a model that can be replicated in other areas as well.
Nice video... This shows that collecting wild fish is sustainable if the method are right... Building Dams, Mining , food fish and cutting trees are much more damaging than collecting fish that die anyway in low water season....
Fascinating documentary man! 👍 Cool to see where and how far some of the fishies I bought have traveled! But I must say it's infuriating to see how expensive fish are here compared to how dirt cheap they are sold there
Alright, this documentary will be a real eye opener for so many people. Thanks so much. I think i just might top up my school of paracheirodon simulans. After all a 600l tank can hold quite a few of them 😂. My favourite though is the corydoras habrosus.
That was a fascinating documentary. Thank you for taking the time to show us where our aquarium fish come from and the indigenous people who make this hobby a possibility.
I love wildlife and our planet and this documentary is amazing!!! Great... When we all work together, something very positive Will come out of it!!! It's a win win situation for all! Except the lunatics that are against everything like PETA and idiots alike!!!
Some of the largest importers and exporters gave us some rare access to the behind the scenes workings of the trade. They also were very forthcoming in their on-camera interviews and did not attempt to edit or omit anything. Respect to them.
Thankyou for making this documentary!! I learnt alot from this. Will try and educate more people as well on this and share it on my youtube channel as well! Those wild caught fish are absolutely beautiful ❤️ I hope more people will try and help the native people of brazil to help them keep their interest in harvesting these fish and not quit ✌🏽 Thanks to those people who take all those people who take so much efforts in collecting these fish and sending them across to us 🙏🏽
I've caught myself in a dilemma after watching this documentary. I really enjoy and love taking care of fishes in my aquarium. But by having this as a hobby helps me support an industry that promotes taking them off their natural habitat.
As long as a population is that stable, they're allowed to reproduce before they're collected, their life cycle isn't disturbed, and your not stripping anything vital out of the environment they've made a very good case to PETA that aquaruims can actually do more to protect the environment due to the intrests they drive in the local people to protect the forest and all the properties within that produce the fish. That said its important the hobbyists, the local governments, and the industry keep a tight watch on the status of the fish and the rate they're being collected so that it remains sustainable. Also pay close attention to what is being collected, if the fish are even in demand before they're taken, and the rate of reproduction is high enough to be sustainable. Theres a lot of factors to get tangled up in and its important to be aware of every element at work. Keeping the collectors informed, equipped, and well paid matters. They won't care if the fish are healthy and won't be able to care for them at $3 a day bearing only a net and a plastic box.
Very eye opening....i breed angels to supplement my income on a small level and i love it...but i can't sell to petsmart and petco....they have their own suppliers and i depend on locally owned petstores to sell my fish to..so i empathize with these hardworking fishermen...i've just ordered some rams to add to my inventory...hopefully they will help turn the tide...i can only pray and hope...thank you for listening!
The breeding process is fascinating as well! I had the same problem selling my fish so I gave it up, but watching this I see these people need the income much more than I do!
This is becoming a lost art . This generation wants everything done for them. Don’t want to put in the work. They want the end result. I’ve been doing this for over 30yrs. Love every minute of it!
Don't panic guys. Piabeiros (those catching fish or local fishermen) are catching food fish now and they are doing well, as they were getting only 4USD for 1000 cardinal. It's the exporters who are in trouble due to not giving enough to the fishermen and hence they collapsed the industry. Exporters make huge profits where fishermen are in debt and that's the reason they are crying now.
Indeed. As we make clear in the documentary many Piabeiros have turned to other fisheries to make a living. Unfortuneately the food fishing has led to a decline in some of the more popular species. Along the Rio Negro the Sport Fishing industry for Peacock Bass is also an alternative for Piabeiros. Industry in Amazona should be supported only if it is sustainable, leaves the forest and rivers in tact and benefits conservation efforts. There are many such industries in Amazonas.
I would like to pay 10 times of the wild caught fish only if that money can go and improve the living of the people who live there For so many years the Amazonian sacrifice the opportunity for a better life to trade in for the forest reservation , I salutes for them
Thanks for watching. More work must be done to more fairly distribute the earnings to the piabeiros of the Rio Negro. Many are leaving the trade and turning to sport fishing and other better paying livelihoods. As you can see in the documentary there is a long and complicated supply chain before the fish reach the consumer. Air freight, for one, takes a big chunk of the profit.
I have seen shipments of cardinals coming to store in San Diego in which had zero mortality in every shipment. They were from Ruinemans. Very impressive. They were wc too. If people involved in this industry take proper care of the fish there is no problem to bring them in and sell them. Unfortunately Ruinemans. Bussiness mmodel is aimed to cater to wholesalers and not to retailers. Store cannot afford to bring hundreds of the same species. This ads an other step to selling the fish. an other middle man. An other chance for fish to die. Peta is assembly of fanatics who in fact do not care about animals. They just power hungry leftists who are using animals as a vehicle to control other human beings. Unfortunately they duped too many people into thinking that they do what they do for animals.
$78 for 20,000 Cardinals!!!!! WTF!!! I could make 40 grand off 20,000 cardinal tetras... Bottom line is when we begin breeding in captivity we begin to change the fish for better or worse it could be beneficial or just horrible but we must consistently add wild blood into our hobby and I'm shocked at the prices I'm seeing from seagrest and others and then hear what the guy is getting who caught that fish in the wild!!! Greed is unbelievable
Thanks for watching. We tried to show you various reasons why the price of a cardinal tetra is more expensive at a retailer in USA , Europe etc. It appears that the greatest cost of bringing the fish to market is the fact that air freight is very expensive and there are no direct cargo flights out of Manaus to international locations. Therefore the fish must first be flown south to Sao Paulo before returning north to USA.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM oh yeah absolutely.... But I can't see any logical reason that at the very least 1$ of my 4$ I pay at fish store doesn't go to the guys and girls who caught it!! I wonder how we can cut the middle man out? Is it legal to go straight to the village and pay them for the fish and ship them out? Something tells me these wholesalers control Everything coming out of the river
@@thefishylife6823 It is generally agreed by exporters here that it will be better to sell rarer more exspensive fish in less quantity. Selling millions of Cardinal tetras is not so profitable because of shipping the weight of the water. New species from the Rio Negro are coming on the market this year because of new export regulations. Also by forming fishermen's co ops they can cut out the middleman and pay less tax.
They are focusing on cardinals.. they have a lot of beautiful species their that a captive breed can't produce like for example the angelfish.. most of the aquarists prefer wild caught angelfish because of their different body form and they are willing to pay a high prices.. Fishermen their says that a thousand cardinals is only worth 3 Usd and here in my country a 1 piece cardinal is worth 1 usd but a wild caught angelfish is worth around 50-70 usd specially from the river of Santa Isabel and Sao gabriel and the altums is worth 150-200 usd depends on size and quality..
💥💥💥 Really neat program. I'd love to help with some of the problems from beginning to end as I've seen mostly retail problems that are killing the industry. At least in my state of calif.
I would prefer a wild caught pleco. I don't care for the designer plecos, but I can't find any wild caught plecos. I would also buy wild caught cardinals if I had access to them since the colours are so much better. Same goes for rummy noses and coreys. PETA = Pain En The Ass. They should harvest a little bit of that driftwood to sell to the aquarium trade. Also some of the leaf. Those would be very useful for scaping an Amazon tank, and it is also a resource which is renewable.
Give more profit to the fishermen so their lives will significantly change. Their government should provide logistic support to expedite the process. Anyway, this video despite being long broadened my perspective in the ornamental fish industry.
He's right about not catching to many if they are stacked with little water and no air like that. Get a bigger boat or catch less fish, reduce the shock and stress by handling them less. Too many videos with people touching fish, if you didn't know they need a healthy slime coat to stay healthy
With Cardinals now costing $6 each here in the U.S. I don't have any interest in them anymore. Back in 1990 you could buy a dozen of them for $8-$10. Sometimes they would have them for $5 a dozen.
@@j.t.cooper2963 Honestly I don't see a problem paying $6 for a live fish that came from halfway around the world. I'm just shocked how little the first part of the chain is getting.
Wow! is hard to imagine, the ornamental fishers get 4$ for 1000 Cardinal or Neon Tetras captured and on the fish store one fish is at LEAST 2$ !!!!! WHAT A F.....UCKING WORLD?!
Oki, this documentary is a little "rosy", but it is very true that if local folks want to catch and sell aquarium fish, they preserve the environment. It is the locals that make the difference. There are other projects around the world that does the same. Not sure how it goes now, but there at least was the Stuart Grant project in Lake Malawi. It turned a few things around.
Thanks for watching. Not sure why you think it is a " rosy " view of the trade in Amazonas. Part 2 of the documentary examines all the difficulties that the trade has. For example ... captive breeding of Rio Negro species internationally, issues with infrastructure, bureaucracy, fish quality, fish smuggling and contraband, export issues, a near collapse of the trade in the last 20 years and increasing pressure by animal rights groups to ban the trade of wild caught fish. The documentary provides information on all these challenges and lets you decide.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM I should have emphasized that I mostly agree - without the locals, we don´t have a chance of saving anything. I just found it "rosy" that the ornamental fish trade can save the "Amazonas". On its own, it can´t, I think. BUT. It is a good part of it. I also agree that the animal rights groups sometimes do get stuff very wrong. In "saving any animal from getting harmed" these groups might actually bring some species to extinction. If the locals can´t make a living from ornamental fish, they will do something else. Then the fish are gone.
@@jokervienna6433 Thanks for the discussion. I agree with you that the impact of the aquarium trade cannot alone save the Amazon and only plays a small part. But I believe that it shows Brazilians that there are ways to sustainably 'exploit' natural resources in the rainforest without destroying the environment. There are many natural resources here, especially plants, fruits, nuts etc ) that can be used to support the population with positive impacts on conservation. Aquarium hobbyists can play a role.
That’s the reason there is blackwater for tropical fish they realise when fish caught from their orignal habitat their health and color are so good that’s the reason why we must all use blackwater for discus,tetras,chicilds,there are alot of misinformation that discus is hard to take care as they need to be in very clean and clear water,actually their original habitat are blackwater which i just bought and has use to my new discus and they’re so calm and color immediately improve better then from the aquarium shop where the color look so pale,they’re get back their original color much brighter
Absolutely my opinion. Bought my first tank at april this year. But first i looked for everything i need to know, to buy and to prepare for my fishs. They should have exactly the same water and plants in my tank as in the original habitat. Anything else is not good for the fishs.
Hi. I like keeping fish that are rare and hard to get since it gives an exclusive feel while also they look beautiful. But those fishes come with a hefty price since its imported fishes. The cost of fish becomes higher the further it gets imported to and thats only natural since these are live fish and fish die easily. I'm a Malaysian and live in Borneo and I do catch wild fishes from mountain streams and rivers. Some of them are Bumblebee goby, Borneo Hillstream loaches, Neon Kuhli Loach, Kuhli Loach, Spiny eels, Harlequin Lancer catfish, pipefish and many more. But the prettier it gets the harder it is to catch in the wild although nobody is after it here (they are low in numbers naturally, possibly due to its beauty it gets more attention from larger predatory fish), just some with the hobby to keep it in their tanks which includes me. But one things for sure is that hillstream fishes are fragile and die easily and environmental factors may cause them to get extinct. Thus, I believe the exporting of wild caught fish is fine as long as there is an agency which only focus on breeding and ensuring a species is safe and abundant to be exported before blindly catching and selling wild caught fish that might decline in numbers. Just remember that in their natural habitat, fishes have their own predators as well.
Neon Kuhlii? A small group of those is an aquarium dose of happy, had not heard of the neon before only the black or striped. Another fish on my wanted list
@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape Yes, you can look it up on Google. It looks like a tiny snake or earthworm but it has quite a stiff body which is similar to a Brahminy blind snake. It hides under leaves scattered on the shallow areas. I suspect in this videos location there could be som kind of fish as well hiding under all those leaf litters. Update: I looked it up again and notice its also called Golden eel loach.
It's crazy right? By establishing a fisherman's co op things are improving by cutting out middlemen. But it appears the largest export expense is the incredibly high cost of air freight transport. No direct flights to USA or Europe from Manaus. This topic is explored in part 2 of the documentary. Thanks for you comment.
Thank you Wade. I think you will like my other youtube Channel 'Reggae in the Ruff'. There are videos that address conservation in Jamaica. For example ua-cam.com/video/tTAZeSt29bg/v-deo.html
![AMAZING DISCUS FISH BREEDER!! [Tour]](/img/n.gif)
I say it again, after saying it in part 1: I'm proud to be Brazilian. It makes teardrops of emotion and pride fall to see how many serious and well informed people, native and foreigner, are involved with the survival of this market and the survival of the livelihood of so many of our simple and brave Amazonian people. Once again I must say how well done both parts were. It's also nice to see many Brazilian university professors involved as a sign of trust in those good practices and respect to our own people's livelihood. I wish my country to be this powerful symbol of good trade and strong conservancy and hope this trail to be followed by many other good people, both native and foreigner. If such good practices of well being were widespread all over the world our hobby would be much better today. Unfortunately, bad stocking, feeding, overall handling and tons of inbreeding are making many fish species to be fragile and disease prone. Take dwarf gouramis for instance. It is so hard to keep those fish alive for more than 3-4 months in a well established and stable tank that several people around the world are not buying them anymore. Here in Brazil we don't import them from Asia like US and Europe do (and suffer with that mortal Iridovirus disease) because of so many local breeders selling them throughout the country. But even so, the fish is very fragile. In a couple of months there's sores appearing, scales missing and so on. It's years and years of inbreeding. It is a matter of time for the other fish species to get the same fate and then...we will REALLY have only a colorful fish wallpaper in our computers to look at. Anyway...congratulations on this wonderful work and iniciatives! Greetings from Brazil!
Thank you for the great information. Very happy you enjoyed the documentary. Regulations for the export of aquarium fish in Brazil is very strict unlike some other South American nations. So I believe that is yet another reason to be a proud Brazilian.
I just bought 10 cardinal tetras a few days ago and this two part documentary has been so eye opening. I have a way bigger appreciation for the fish, the hobby, and the conservation of the Amazon
Thank you. You have no idea how gratifying comments like yours are after several years in production.
Love my cardinals they are jewels in my tanks. Understanding the steps how they got to me is incredible. Am thrilled to be part of the process
FYI: There is a little bit different Cardinal type that I didn't know about until a few years ago.
cardinal tetras is usually meant for newbies, veterans dont buy cardinals/neon
@@alexolson9680 Not true. Maybe if wild caught but I bet even those at Wet Spot are aclamated to their water. I have water at almost a PH of 8. My cardinals spawned a month ago. I think they liked the soft moss that I had just got on AquaBid.
Wow... I always thought that buy 'wild fish' was a bad for the natural habitats. This documentary have changed totally my way to see the matter... and all the hobby in general.
Thanks for these wonderful documentaries.
Wow. Thank you. You just encapsulated why this documentary was produced.
Glad to hear that! You'd be amazed at how wild caught fish hold up and adjust to aquarium life.
@@audrisampson Yes. I suppose that living in a well adjusted aquarium can felt like paradise for a wild-caught fish.
Brainwashing succeded 🤦🏼♀️
@@schnutzebutz Wow... Good arguments! 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for posting these two videos. I have been an aquarist for over 50 years, and, following a career in academia, I spent a few years exporting fish from Lake Tanganyika in what was then Zaire, so I also gained some insight into the trade. I tried to make my operation as sustainable as possible but because of the practices of other collectors on the lake certain populations of cichlids, especially Tropheus, became vulnerable to over-collecting. Unlike the diverse and widespread Amazon tributaries, the lake shores are easily accessible and many Tropheus species are narrowly distributed, thus making them very vulnerable. Often was the time when my divers returned without any Tr. species saying ' the fish are not there'. This unregulated collecting practice may have given rise to the movement to ban the import of wild-caught fishes.
I have been a keeper of Amazonian fishes for more years than I care to remember, and have always spared a thought for the collectors. It is pleasing to see that they are on their way to getting more money for their efforts, and that the trade they supply is non-destructive and sustainable. I, for one, don't mind paying a bit more for my wild-caught Apistogrammas knowing that they will be available in the future, and that the trade will not collapse.
Thank you for watching and your interesting comment
Sustainability is the key. If local fishermans don't understand that, the business won't last and some species could even disappear. That's why Piaba project is so awesome.
Exporting from Zaire. I guess that was a very exciting time.
@@DavidPerez-eu1tt Not quite! Where I was operating from, Kalemie, had a large military presence and I was always being hassled for money. I was robbed at gunpoint on the border at Uvira. One of my neighbors was shot when she refused to hand over the keys to her vehicle. Bored soldiers would turn up at the fish house and just hang around waiting for a handout. The police would stop and 'fine' me for some made up traffic violation and we all lived in fear of the next rampage by the army, who were often not paid for months by Mobutu. The electricity went off in 1994 and never came back on, so I had to import generators to keep the fish alive, import duty was 100%, sending the cost of the fishes up.
The best time I had was when I was diving on my days off, studying the fish behaviour and cataloging the species I encountered.
@@majorbruster5916 And you say that was not "quite" an exciting time?
amazing documenery. watched both parts instead of finishing my homework and it was well worth it. amazes me how people can still leave comments bashing the wild fish after all the facts were laid out in both videos. I suppose many didn't watch or are more motivated by feelings over the facts. loved the series great job
As the producer, I welcome comments which disagree with any of the points made within the film. Those comments would help this audience understand the range of opinions about the wild caught aquarium fish trade. However I have removed 3 comments because they were personally abusive to some specific people in the film. Some of those comments had interesting points to make but included unnecessary insults.
Ok.. what about the bullshit where the fish farmer says the fish are all treated and feeding well, before shipping?
@@Drquimbaymatumbo There are over 20 exporters of aquarium fish in Manaus. Some are better than others.
@MAZONMICROCOSM well..... that remwmains to be seen. Ive lost numerous exownsive l numbers, to parasites they were carrying.
@@Drquimbaymatumbo Not every fish is gonna survive and be perfect buddy. It’s what happens in life🤦🏽♂️
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, it’s what anyone should reasonably expect..
@Jcron13 mate..... i used to buy load of south american fish...never had an issue...last few years, suddenly they all die. Im convinced its them cutting overheads. I literally lost a lovely l24 this weekend too... its not husbandry because every other fish in tank is literally perfect.
I absolutely loved this documentary. The research and dedication it took to create it is self-evident. It has certainly helped me appreciate my hobby and the dedication to facilitate it even more.
Thank you. Comments like yours is the payoff for the work we put in.
Perfection with an educational component that was a must for the hobby and for the long term sustainability of this amazing place called the Amazon. Thank you again! Well done!
I have watched part 1 and now part 2 and I just wish I could live there and help sustain such a beautiful and rich culture. We are so blessed to have this resource and this video really hit home with me! Excellent
Thank you
Amazing ducumentary that gave me a whole new perspective on wild caught aquarium fish. Great indept information on the topic.
Thank you for the accurate fact packed information in these two vlogs. As a reasonably informed aquarist. You opened the scope of my knowledge considerably. Most of my comments on part one continue to be valid. Some now to a lesser extent. Thank you again for the insight. They way forward as with anything worthwhile is going to be difficult to put it mildly. But with work achievable. The threat from extreme animal rights groups cannot be underestimated. Brainwashing the already delusional. There have already been people purchasing goldfish and freshwater tropical fish to free them into the safety of sea water. They unfortunately are the intellectual equivalent of gills on camels.
Thank you for your comment. I believe that most animal rights supporters are not aware or educated on the reality of this fishery.
Excellent production ! Back in the day I was a small tropical fish importer who travelled to Manaus to meet with the fisherman/collectors and the exporters. I taught them a few very simple ways to improve their husbandry techniques which greatly impacted the health of the fish being imported in robust condition and virtually ended mortality. This is KEY to success and profitability.
I was mildly aware of these issues and problems, but I wasn't aware of all the good action and the strive to make the industry efficient and sustainable! I just hope this reaches more people and makes everyone aware of how positive can outweigh the negative in the hobby! I just hope more documentaries like this are done, the in depth cross-section view is soooooo unusual and wonderful!
Fantastic compliment. Thank you.
Its nice to know that the communities thrive on the wildcaught fish we like in our aquariums.
loved this documentary! I wish i could do more for peservation of the amazon.
Excellent documentary, a must-watch for any hobbyist. All of this information is so important and it being presented in a high-effort and thoughtful documentary like this makes me so happy.
We are likewise are happy to read your wonderful comment. Thank you.
I don't have time yet but have saved both parts! Been a hobiest for decades and love this kind of stuff!
You have to see both documentaries to understand.
Thanks a very lot for this masterpiece!
And thanks to the sponsors to make this project real.
MASTERPIECE !!!! Thats a first for me. hahaha Thank you.
Very eye opening true honest documentary.... to apperciate even more what we have got in our tanks!!!
Thank you.
Thank you for making and sharing this in a manner that will allow the important message contained within be shared to so many more than would otherwise happen. Love it!
I really enjoyed the documentary and seeing the industry from different points of view. I’m going to rewatch it again.🌿
I really like this video, which talks about the amazon and fish, so we can know a little about the amazon and its aquatic ecosystem..
I already like and subscribe.. thanks..
SALAM DARI INDONESIA 🇮🇩🇮🇩🙏
Beautiful documentary…completely changed my mind about fisheries and wild caught fish!!!
I have been waiting to have a better home before I start a tank.. I will have one within days. Wonderful production. Thank you
Good luck with your new tank! I remember my first tank, 35 years ago!
incredible content! THANK YOU. I Wish my channel had access t this footage, so cool to see!
Love this film... Watched part 1 and part 2 back to back... As I am a Hobbiest and in same business I support this as long as those spicies r not over harvested and endangered spicies are not captured or smuggled. In future I would love to visit Brazil and see with my own eyes..
Wow i Loved part 1-2 great job everyone!!!!
Wow what a great documentary- certainly opens my eyes to my hobby.
Thank you.
A wonderfull doctomantry, and super high level camera work under water🤓
Thank you so much. You can imagine how enjoyable it was to film.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM oh yah, just a question that run into my mind, why isn’t there more aqua eco tourism? (aquarium keepers from the “first world” would come and spend money there to see fish and habitats…)
@@rrrrrr-ry3cn There are very few aquarium hobbyists who visit Amazonas specifically for aqua ecotourism. I have run some trips to the fishing grounds up the Rio Negro and to exporters in Manaus. We travel by boat, snorkel in the streams and film the huge diversity of fish species. We also observe the Piabeiros at work and hang in local communities. For over 20 years Project Piaba also offers an annual trip every January which co-incides with the Ornamental Fish Festival in Barcelos. If you want more info ( email ) amazonmicrocosm@gmail.com
@@MAZONMICROCOSM super cool but yet not very well known
Very informative documentary. Please make more on fish from other tributaries.
Thank you. With new species becoming available for export from Amazonas I will be sure to be continuing this work.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Really appreciate the complex nature of this collection and how it can help in protection of the natural habitat. I hope this is a model that can be replicated in other areas as well.
I love this documentary..
Nice video... This shows that collecting wild fish is sustainable if the method are right... Building Dams, Mining , food fish and cutting trees are much more damaging than collecting fish that die anyway in low water season....
This was a great doc, nice editing and camera footage. Some really passionate people here.
Thank you. Thanks for noticing.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM thank you for such a great doc, such great effort.
This was really well made and very informative. Thank you
Great video. Thank you for putting this together and bringing forward.
Fascinating documentary man! 👍 Cool to see where and how far some of the fishies I bought have traveled!
But I must say it's infuriating to see how expensive fish are here compared to how dirt cheap they are sold there
Very nice document, planning to watch it again in big screen.
Im brazilian/american very interesting everything that happens in this hobby new fan
Alright, this documentary will be a real eye opener for so many people. Thanks so much. I think i just might top up my school of paracheirodon simulans. After all a 600l tank can hold quite a few of them 😂. My favourite though is the corydoras habrosus.
Thank you
WOw good video there and its not easy to depend only on aquarium fish export alone, its logistics and supply and demand issues and costs
That was a fascinating documentary. Thank you for taking the time to show us where our aquarium fish come from and the indigenous people who make this hobby a possibility.
Excellent 2 part series.
I am still learning this was very interesting, even after being in the hobby for only 5 years
Thanks for sharing.
I love wildlife and our planet and this documentary is amazing!!! Great... When we all work together, something very positive Will come out of it!!! It's a win win situation for all! Except the lunatics that are against everything like PETA and idiots alike!!!
Great documentary love to see the big play in the Industry are helping out.
Some of the largest importers and exporters gave us some rare access to the behind the scenes workings of the trade. They also were very forthcoming in their on-camera interviews and did not attempt to edit or omit anything. Respect to them.
Thankyou for making this documentary!!
I learnt alot from this. Will try and educate more people as well on this and share it on my youtube channel as well!
Those wild caught fish are absolutely beautiful ❤️
I hope more people will try and help the native people of brazil to help them keep their interest in harvesting these fish and not quit ✌🏽
Thanks to those people who take all those people who take so much efforts in collecting these fish and sending them across to us 🙏🏽
Thanks. What is fantasic about being available for free on UA-cam is that you can share with people without a money firewall.
Excellent documentary! Thanks for making it!
Best documentar Film ever 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Thank you for this vid 👍Important messages within 😘🐟🪵💦🌿
Beautiful documentary with excellent information great job👍
Wow beautiful cardinal tetras.
great doco thank you so much
I've caught myself in a dilemma after watching this documentary. I really enjoy and love taking care of fishes in my aquarium. But by having this as a hobby helps me support an industry that promotes taking them off their natural habitat.
this hobby is actually teaching you to care about, and for nature. Don't let those naysayers fool you.
Breed them yourself, problem solved.
Great documentary
Thanks (obrigado) for sharing! It's so interesting
Thank you.
Great documentation- thx so much!
As long as a population is that stable, they're allowed to reproduce before they're collected, their life cycle isn't disturbed, and your not stripping anything vital out of the environment they've made a very good case to PETA that aquaruims can actually do more to protect the environment due to the intrests they drive in the local people to protect the forest and all the properties within that produce the fish.
That said its important the hobbyists, the local governments, and the industry keep a tight watch on the status of the fish and the rate they're being collected so that it remains sustainable. Also pay close attention to what is being collected, if the fish are even in demand before they're taken, and the rate of reproduction is high enough to be sustainable. Theres a lot of factors to get tangled up in and its important to be aware of every element at work. Keeping the collectors informed, equipped, and well paid matters. They won't care if the fish are healthy and won't be able to care for them at $3 a day bearing only a net and a plastic box.
Great film very well put together.
Thank you
Bravo!
This was a brilliant.
Very eye opening....i breed angels to supplement my income on a small level and i love it...but i can't sell to petsmart and petco....they have their own suppliers and i depend on locally owned petstores to sell my fish to..so i empathize with these hardworking fishermen...i've just ordered some rams to add to my inventory...hopefully they will help turn the tide...i can only pray and hope...thank you for listening!
The breeding process is fascinating as well! I had the same problem selling my fish so I gave it up, but watching this I see these people need the income much more than I do!
Those are beautiful!
This is becoming a lost art . This generation wants everything done for them. Don’t want to put in the work. They want the end result. I’ve been doing this for over 30yrs. Love every minute of it!
Awesome video!! Your channel seems really cool!! Just subbed too!!
Thank you. Please check out Pt. 2 to get the full story.
Don't panic guys. Piabeiros (those catching fish or local fishermen) are catching food fish now and they are doing well, as they were getting only 4USD for 1000 cardinal. It's the exporters who are in trouble due to not giving enough to the fishermen and hence they collapsed the industry. Exporters make huge profits where fishermen are in debt and that's the reason they are crying now.
Indeed. As we make clear in the documentary many Piabeiros have turned to other fisheries to make a living. Unfortuneately the food fishing has led to a decline in some of the more popular species. Along the Rio Negro the Sport Fishing industry for Peacock Bass is also an alternative for Piabeiros. Industry in Amazona should be supported only if it is sustainable, leaves the forest and rivers in tact and benefits conservation efforts. There are many such industries in Amazonas.
I would like to pay 10 times of the wild caught fish only if that money can go and improve the living of the people who live there
For so many years the Amazonian sacrifice the opportunity for a better life to trade in for the forest reservation , I salutes for them
Thanks for watching. More work must be done to more fairly distribute the earnings to the piabeiros of the Rio Negro. Many are leaving the trade and turning to sport fishing and other better paying livelihoods. As you can see in the documentary there is a long and complicated supply chain before the fish reach the consumer. Air freight, for one, takes a big chunk of the profit.
Very interesting
peacock bass are one example that being famous predator fish in my country for the last two years.
I have seen shipments of cardinals coming to store in San Diego in which had zero mortality in every shipment. They were from Ruinemans. Very impressive. They were wc too. If people involved in this industry take proper care of the fish there is no problem to bring them in and sell them. Unfortunately Ruinemans. Bussiness mmodel is aimed to cater to wholesalers and not to retailers.
Store cannot afford to bring hundreds of the same species. This ads an other step to selling the fish. an other middle man. An other chance for fish to die.
Peta is assembly of fanatics who in fact do not care about animals. They just power hungry leftists who are using animals as a vehicle to control other human beings. Unfortunately they duped too many people into thinking that they do what they do for animals.
$78 for 20,000 Cardinals!!!!! WTF!!! I could make 40 grand off 20,000 cardinal tetras... Bottom line is when we begin breeding in captivity we begin to change the fish for better or worse it could be beneficial or just horrible but we must consistently add wild blood into our hobby and I'm shocked at the prices I'm seeing from seagrest and others and then hear what the guy is getting who caught that fish in the wild!!! Greed is unbelievable
Thanks for watching. We tried to show you various reasons why the price of a cardinal tetra is more expensive at a retailer in USA , Europe etc. It appears that the greatest cost of bringing the fish to market is the fact that air freight is very expensive and there are no direct cargo flights out of Manaus to international locations. Therefore the fish must first be flown south to Sao Paulo before returning north to USA.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM oh yeah absolutely.... But I can't see any logical reason that at the very least 1$ of my 4$ I pay at fish store doesn't go to the guys and girls who caught it!! I wonder how we can cut the middle man out? Is it legal to go straight to the village and pay them for the fish and ship them out? Something tells me these wholesalers control Everything coming out of the river
@@thefishylife6823 It is generally agreed by exporters here that it will be better to sell rarer more exspensive fish in less quantity. Selling millions of Cardinal tetras is not so profitable because of shipping the weight of the water. New species from the Rio Negro are coming on the market this year because of new export regulations. Also by forming fishermen's co ops they can cut out the middleman and pay less tax.
They are focusing on cardinals.. they have a lot of beautiful species their that a captive breed can't produce like for example the angelfish.. most of the aquarists prefer wild caught angelfish because of their different body form and they are willing to pay a high prices.. Fishermen their says that a thousand cardinals is only worth 3 Usd and here in my country a 1 piece cardinal is worth 1 usd but a wild caught angelfish is worth around 50-70 usd specially from the river of Santa Isabel and Sao gabriel and the altums is worth 150-200 usd depends on size and quality..
💥💥💥 Really neat program. I'd love to help with some of the problems from beginning to end as I've seen mostly retail problems that are killing the industry. At least in my state of calif.
Thank you.
I would prefer a wild caught pleco. I don't care for the designer plecos, but I can't find any wild caught plecos. I would also buy wild caught cardinals if I had access to them since the colours are so much better. Same goes for rummy noses and coreys.
PETA = Pain En The Ass.
They should harvest a little bit of that driftwood to sell to the aquarium trade. Also some of the leaf. Those would be very useful for scaping an Amazon tank, and it is also a resource which is renewable.
Thanks for your comment. It is illegal to export or carry drift wood out of Amazonas.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM True that.
I believe they’re worried about
bugs/pests getting in to another country.
I want to buy Channa Micropeltes is it available
damn, 3$ for 1000 cardinal tetras. each cost around 4.5$ in canada.
Total exploitation of the people there.
I can collect more empties in a Vancouver alley in 2 hours. So sad they should be setting up breeding ponds.
It Costs 30 to 75 rs in india for a piece, if anybody in brBrazil can ship it , I would even buy it for 10rs per piece
aquarium hobby help my family to prevent loneliness cause by the pandemic
Its very expensive here in the Philippines thats why the demand is low.
Beautiful
Thank you
Give more profit to the fishermen so their lives will significantly change. Their government should provide logistic support to expedite the process. Anyway, this video despite being long broadened my perspective in the ornamental fish industry.
He's right about not catching to many if they are stacked with little water and no air like that. Get a bigger boat or catch less fish, reduce the shock and stress by handling them less.
Too many videos with people touching fish, if you didn't know they need a healthy slime coat to stay healthy
Hello, just asking when was this documentary filmed?
Thanks for watching. It was filmed between 2017 - 2020. New update video coming soon.
nice
With Cardinals now costing $6 each here in the U.S. I don't have any interest in them anymore. Back in 1990 you could buy a dozen of them for $8-$10. Sometimes they would have them for $5 a dozen.
Even with all the costs associated with getting the fish from the collector to the hobbiest, I don't see how there is a 149900% increase.
@@TheFishingNomad Greed is a big part of it and foolish people don't see anything wrong with Cardinal Tetras costing $6 each.
@@j.t.cooper2963 Honestly I don't see a problem paying $6 for a live fish that came from halfway around the world. I'm just shocked how little the first part of the chain is getting.
Wow! is hard to imagine, the ornamental fishers get 4$ for 1000 Cardinal or Neon Tetras captured and on the fish store one fish is at LEAST 2$ !!!!! WHAT A F.....UCKING WORLD?!
1000 cardinal tetras for $3
and they selling the fish here in the USA $3.99-$4.99 smh
Oki, this documentary is a little "rosy", but it is very true that if local folks want to catch and sell aquarium fish, they preserve the environment. It is the locals that make the difference.
There are other projects around the world that does the same. Not sure how it goes now, but there at least was the Stuart Grant project in Lake Malawi. It turned a few things around.
Thanks for watching. Not sure why you think it is a " rosy " view of the trade in Amazonas. Part 2 of the documentary examines all the difficulties that the trade has. For example ... captive breeding of Rio Negro species internationally, issues with infrastructure, bureaucracy, fish quality, fish smuggling and contraband, export issues, a near collapse of the trade in the last 20 years and increasing pressure by animal rights groups to ban the trade of wild caught fish. The documentary provides information on all these challenges and lets you decide.
@@MAZONMICROCOSM I should have emphasized that I mostly agree - without the locals, we don´t have a chance of saving anything.
I just found it "rosy" that the ornamental fish trade can save the "Amazonas". On its own, it can´t, I think. BUT. It is a good part of it.
I also agree that the animal rights groups sometimes do get stuff very wrong. In "saving any animal from getting harmed" these groups might actually bring some species to extinction. If the locals can´t make a living from ornamental fish, they will do something else. Then the fish are gone.
@@jokervienna6433 Thanks for the discussion. I agree with you that the impact of the aquarium trade cannot alone save the Amazon and only plays a small part. But I believe that it shows Brazilians that there are ways to sustainably 'exploit' natural resources in the rainforest without destroying the environment. There are many natural resources here, especially plants, fruits, nuts etc ) that can be used to support the population with positive impacts on conservation. Aquarium hobbyists can play a role.
Nice
9:57 what fish are these?
Crenichicla. I don't know too much about them so I can't tell the species.
That’s the reason there is blackwater for tropical fish they realise when fish caught from their orignal habitat their health and color are so good that’s the reason why we must all use blackwater for discus,tetras,chicilds,there are alot of misinformation that discus is hard to take care as they need to be in very clean and clear water,actually their original habitat are blackwater which i just bought and has use to my new discus and they’re so calm and color immediately improve better then from the aquarium shop where the color look so pale,they’re get back their original color much brighter
Thanks for watching
Absolutely my opinion. Bought my first tank at april this year. But first i looked for everything i need to know, to buy and to prepare for my fishs. They should have exactly the same water and plants in my tank as in the original habitat. Anything else is not good for the fishs.
But how can you see the colour of fishes if you put them in dark brown water? What's the point of having it in glass tank?
I love fish!
Good day
Am an exporter of live tropical and ornamentals fishes from Africa Nigeria and congo I will be very greatful to do business with you
I prefer younger fish always!!
Hi. I like keeping fish that are rare and hard to get since it gives an exclusive feel while also they look beautiful. But those fishes come with a hefty price since its imported fishes. The cost of fish becomes higher the further it gets imported to and thats only natural since these are live fish and fish die easily. I'm a Malaysian and live in Borneo and I do catch wild fishes from mountain streams and rivers. Some of them are Bumblebee goby, Borneo Hillstream loaches, Neon Kuhli Loach, Kuhli Loach, Spiny eels, Harlequin Lancer catfish, pipefish and many more. But the prettier it gets the harder it is to catch in the wild although nobody is after it here (they are low in numbers naturally, possibly due to its beauty it gets more attention from larger predatory fish), just some with the hobby to keep it in their tanks which includes me. But one things for sure is that hillstream fishes are fragile and die easily and environmental factors may cause them to get extinct.
Thus, I believe the exporting of wild caught fish is fine as long as there is an agency which only focus on breeding and ensuring a species is safe and abundant to be exported before blindly catching and selling wild caught fish that might decline in numbers.
Just remember that in their natural habitat, fishes have their own predators as well.
People forget that over 90% of all animals in the wild that are born will never live a full life most don't make it to adulthood
Thanks for your interesting comment
Neon Kuhlii?
A small group of those is an aquarium dose of happy, had not heard of the neon before only the black or striped. Another fish on my wanted list
@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape Yes, you can look it up on Google. It looks like a tiny snake or earthworm but it has quite a stiff body which is similar to a Brahminy blind snake. It hides under leaves scattered on the shallow areas. I suspect in this videos location there could be som kind of fish as well hiding under all those leaf litters.
Update: I looked it up again and notice its also called Golden eel loach.
I have mixed feelings with salt water catching, because I don't believe hardly any salt water fish are breeding in captivity.
I just got one of those l135 wormline pleco
Lit
Manaus certainly has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 33 years since I was last there...
I am happy for fish not collecting wild but sad to those people who loose their profession .
You better hope somebody doesn’t take your job and force you to leave your home.
3:37 as if Japan isn't in Asia😂...
Omg!
US$ 3.00 = BR$ 16.01
Cardinal Tetra sells for US$ 2.99 each at pet store.
It's crazy right? By establishing a fisherman's co op things are improving by cutting out middlemen. But it appears the largest export expense is the incredibly high cost of air freight transport. No direct flights to USA or Europe from Manaus. This topic is explored in part 2 of the documentary. Thanks for you comment.
Holy s*it that's expensive !!! I get about US$0.60 = RM2.50 each here in Malaysia
My Jamaican people need to see this video, they know NOTHING about conservation!
Thank you Wade. I think you will like my other youtube Channel 'Reggae in the Ruff'. There are videos that address conservation in Jamaica. For example ua-cam.com/video/tTAZeSt29bg/v-deo.html