Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Air Shipment to Thailand

I have a four acre lake in Thailand, which was dug one year ago. I have stocked the butterfly peacock bass in it, which were available in Thailand from the aquarium industry. However, I would like also to stock the largemouth bass as the butterfly peacock are not much of a top-water feeder like the largemouth. Does anyone know of a hatchery that can air ship LMB to Thailand? I have checked on it here and can obtain the permits for importing them, though it will take a few weeks for the paperwork trail. What I would like to import are 100-200 1"-2" inch fish, which I would net raise prior to release in the lake.

Don,

You need to get Aquaculture Magazine's 2004 Buyer's Guide where bass suppliers are listed for all of North America. I would go to the following site and they should set you up.

http://www.aquaculturemag.com/siteenglish/home2.html

That said, I happen to know that China raises largemouth bass for the food market. Isn't that a little closer for air shipment?

I agree wth Cecil. I am sure that there are much closer suppliers of LMBass for you than the US. Also I would look into an alternative predator species for your area that are available much closer or even locally. Mother nature has evolved balanced fish communities for all parts of the world. There surely should be an equivalent or better predator species to the LM Bass in the Orient.

Also what are you planning to use as a forage or prey species for these anticipated bass?

Please, somebody explain to me how releasing LMB in Thailand is any different than releasing snakeheads in this country.

Norm,

Good point. However I wouldn't be surprised if they are not already there. I do know China has raised LMB long enough to have them pretty much domesticated. I have one source that says they no longer need to feed train them although I do not know how reliable that it. If that's true they apparently have been domesticating them longer than we have.

BTW, the Aquaculure Buyer's Guide has sources other than than north America although I didn't see any listed for LMB. In fact just thumbing through the ABG there is a Fish Breeding Association in Taiwan listed under LMB for consultants:

Fish Breeding Association of ROC
Rm 407 No 2 Yu-Gang
Middle 1st Rd Chien Chen
Kaohsiung, 806
TAIWAN
886-7-8136870
FAX: 886-7-813-6871
Email: fish@fish.org.tw
Website: www.fish.org.tw

Here's a link to LMB culture in Taiwan. They urge you to contact them for more information.

http://www.fish.org.tw/english/intro.htm

After going to the previous link you need to clink on advertisement and then go to the RAI HUNG Bass farm

Cecil, Bill and Norm;

Thanks for the lead, will check out the recommended website. There are a lot of fish in Thailand as it is a big aquaculture country, maybe with some luck I will find a supplier there.

The main predator in Thailand is the giant snakehead which can grow to near 40 pounds, plus there are several smaller varieties also. I have the smaller version (app. 2-3 lbs) of a snakehead already in my lake as I have dug on a flood plain and fill the lake during the rainy season. The snakeheads are not quite as agressive as the LMB and are real fickle. The locals will usually use a live frog or large minnow and suspend it just under the water but often for hours. I want to bass fish with the boat and trolling motor like we do in the states, particularly top water action. Snakeheads can walk on land particularly on rainy nights, and they were the first fish to enter the lake as it was filling...even before the flood.

For foilage: Talapia are easily available and I have several breeders within 20 miles of my place, also I have many different varieties of native fish in the lake.

I released 65 butterfly peacock bass last fall and have another 100 that are about three inches long which will be getting released shortly. These were available through the aquarium market, but have not seen the LMB yet, probably since it is not a colorful.

I will check with your lead Cecil, Taiwan is a lot closer and has direct flights into Bangkok. I have also heard that the LMB is a Chinese delicacy, even seen an article a few years back where they busted some Chinese for poaching bass in Maryland.

Thanks!!

Don

Cecil,

The Rai Hung Bass farm in Taiwan has got the LMB, thanks for the heads up...but I am not having any luck in sending an email to the Fish Breeding Site or contacting the bass farm with the contact member button, will try calling them tomorrow.

Don,

If you get some LMB keep us apprised of their growth rate and maximum size. Seems to me if they have the right forage water temps should be optimum there for maximum growth. It would also be interesting to know if the bass strain there is a Florida bass (actually considered a separate species now by the AFS).

As someone that is involved in Aquaculture with lots of contacts you are defintely correct in the demand by Asians for LMB. There are growers now growing them out just for that market. Ironically feed trained individuals grow very rapidly until sexual maturity and they grow faster than yellow perch and bluegill. Some food fish growers now are switching over to LMB.