The newly-established Indonesian Ornamental Fish Council (IOFC - Dewan Ikan Hias Indonesia)

The number of ornamental fish keeping hobbyists is steadily increasing in Indonesia, particularly for freshwater fish.  Many hobbyists eventually  turn their hobby into commercial breeding, and supplying the domestic and international markets. There are now hobbyists' and breeders' clubs in many cities throughout Indonesia. The international traders and hobbyists are increasingly active, conducting expeditions to explore rivers and lakes in remote areas in Indonesia to collect new species.

Unlike the freshwater ornamental fish trade, the Indonesian marine ornamental fish trade faces constant challenges in managing the fisheries, as 99% of the organisms are collected from the wild.  Breeding efforts for marine species are not yet enough to fulfil the market demand. On the other hand, some species of live corals are no longer collected from the wild, and only sold from coral mariculture sites.

On September 14, 2011, the various Indonesian Ornamental Fish societies came together to form the Indonesian Ornamental Fish Council. The elected Chair was Dr. Suseno Sukoyono, and the vice chairman, Mr Anton Saksono, was the founder of the biggest freshwater aquarium in Indonesia, in Taman Mini Indonesia, Jakarta.  The Indonesian Ornamental Fish Council will oversee all ornamental fish activities in Indonesia, and welcome collaborations with other organisations working with ornamental fish at international, national and local levels.

Address of IOFC - Dewan Ikan Hias Indonesia (DIHI) is as follow:

Mina Bahari Bld II, 17th Floor, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Republic of Indonesia. Jalan Medan Merdeka Timur No 16, Jakarta Pusat 10110 - INDONESIA, Tel/ fax : +62 (0) 21 3522516