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PeterIMA":373qgbn4 said:Mitch,
You seem to forget that Jaime is in Canada, and the prices he is providing are in Canadian dollars. Try adjusting for the exchange rates that have been fluctuating between the US and Canada, and also with the Philippines.
Peter Rubec
Peter,
1 U.S $ = $ 1.14 canadian
sdcfish":1mwfrjbw said:Mitch,
Fiji Coral Beauty is a bit more, but the cheaper freight from Fiji and packing differences make them about the same landed price for wholesalers....we sell them for the same price.
Steve,
How many Coral Beauty's can be caught by a Philipino diver in one day? In Fiji, we were catching about 40-50 Coral Beauties per day, per diver. Bicolor angels are much dumber than a Coral Beauty making them easy to catch. I think I caught 60 Bicolor in one day...and a professional diver for sure 100 could be achieved.
Knowing that a diver can collect $.30 each fish, for 40 per day, for sure some other fish too....that's $12.00 US per day minimum which converts to 600 pesos right? In the city of Manila, minimum wage is about 400-500 pesos per day....so maybe the divers if they are good, they can make well above minimum wage. I would think they could make more than just 40 Coral Beauties per day...but it really depends on the reef and if they are working the same areas or not.
Regards,
Eric
Eric,
In the Philippines, as somewhere else, collectors can not go to the sea every day. To get good priced fish collectors have to be away from their communities and families for extended periods of time, this has serious social consequences. If they collect 40 fish it doesn't mean that they'll sell 40 to the middlemen, mortality at community level is considerable.
Jaime, Steve already pointed out that you had posted your prices in US dollars. Sorry, for the misunderstanding on my part.
I think we both agree that the collectors in PI and Indo need to receive more for the fish they collect. Provided the MAF are caught with nets, properly handled, and don't die the exporters should pay more for the fish they receive. I also agree that the mortality problems start with the way the fishes are collected and handled. Programs to assist the fishermen with better collecting, holding, and shipping methods can benefit the entire chain of custody. Hence, it pays to make improvements.
Whether this means that the importers or retailers need to pay more is still not known. Right now, I am inclined to agree with some earlier posters on this thread, that the export pricing may not have to change. I will know more after the shipping mortality study being conducted in collaboration with Ferdinand Cruz and some exporters and importers is completed. I believe that better survival rates can be achieved with proper nutrition, handling and use of chemical additives. How this affects the economics remains to be determined.
Peter Rubec
I think we both agree that the collectors in PI and Indo need to receive more for the fish they collect. Provided the MAF are caught with nets, properly handled, and don't die the exporters should pay more for the fish they receive. I also agree that the mortality problems start with the way the fishes are collected and handled. Programs to assist the fishermen with better collecting, holding, and shipping methods can benefit the entire chain of custody. Hence, it pays to make improvements.
Whether this means that the importers or retailers need to pay more is still not known. Right now, I am inclined to agree with some earlier posters on this thread, that the export pricing may not have to change. I will know more after the shipping mortality study being conducted in collaboration with Ferdinand Cruz and some exporters and importers is completed. I believe that better survival rates can be achieved with proper nutrition, handling and use of chemical additives. How this affects the economics remains to be determined.
Peter Rubec
Reply to Rascal,
I visited the Philippines from November 21 to December 7, 2005. During my stay I visited an export facility that deals exclusively with net-caught fish. After some preliminary experiments there, we drove south to the Province of Bicol where I visited a hatchery established by Dr. Ralph Turingan and Ferdinand Cruz. I conducted a series of experiments using chemical additives with marine fishes in sealed plastic bags. I recently completed the analyses of these data and wrote a report that I cannot release at this time. Suffice to say, the experiments were encouraging. Our goal was to keep fish alive for a minimum of 48 hours. We tested several types of additives and found a combination that appears to work. Many fishes were alive and healthy after 65 hours. Five fishes which were packed in Manila and transported to Bicol were alive and well after over 100 hours.
We are presently conducting experiments involving overseas shipments of fishes to importers and to my laboratory in St. Petersburg, Florida. How long will this continue? Probably at least another six months. I hope this reply is sufficient for now.
Peter Rubec
I visited the Philippines from November 21 to December 7, 2005. During my stay I visited an export facility that deals exclusively with net-caught fish. After some preliminary experiments there, we drove south to the Province of Bicol where I visited a hatchery established by Dr. Ralph Turingan and Ferdinand Cruz. I conducted a series of experiments using chemical additives with marine fishes in sealed plastic bags. I recently completed the analyses of these data and wrote a report that I cannot release at this time. Suffice to say, the experiments were encouraging. Our goal was to keep fish alive for a minimum of 48 hours. We tested several types of additives and found a combination that appears to work. Many fishes were alive and healthy after 65 hours. Five fishes which were packed in Manila and transported to Bicol were alive and well after over 100 hours.
We are presently conducting experiments involving overseas shipments of fishes to importers and to my laboratory in St. Petersburg, Florida. How long will this continue? Probably at least another six months. I hope this reply is sufficient for now.
Peter Rubec
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