COLOMBIA: Every day, local fishermen visit Ernesto Rojas to sell him small, colourful fish plucked from rivers in the Colombian jungle that end up in aquariums around the world.
The septuagenarian has dedicated half a century to the ornamental fish business in Inirida, the capital of the eastern region of Guainia, which borders Venezuela and Brazil.
It is a thriving trade that critics see as cruel and harmful to nature, though environmentalists also recognise it brings benefits such as encouraging habitat conservation and offering an alternative to harmful activities like illegal logging and mining.
Rojas keeps fish in ponds covered by nets to protect them from predatory birds before they are flown to Bogota for export to the United States, Asia and Europe.
He buys the Altum Angelfish (Pterophyllum altum) – which is only found in the region and is prized by collectors for its long fins and striking vertical stripes – for the equivalent of US$2 each. — AFP
