An aquaculturist from Changhua in central Taiwan breeds designer varieties of clownfish in captivity, not just to sell as pets but also to help protect fish in the wild and their ecosystems.
00:00An interesting looking fellow, this black storm clownfish is not the common and instantly recognizable orange and white kind of clownfish.
00:15This designer variety is among the many cultivated by 37-year-old aquaculturist Liem Xue.
00:30This black storm clownfish is one of the most popular varieties on Trier's farm, with over 2,000 of them sold each month to customers in 14 different countries, making up to 25% of his farm's total sales.
01:00Xue began working with clownfish at the age of 20, when he fell in love with the fish after watching the movie Finding Nemo.
01:13Inspired by the Disney animated film, Xue created his very own clownfish kingdom, the biggest clownfish farm in Taiwan.
01:21Over more than a decade, Xue has bred 35 varieties of clownfish, each of them taking up to three years to successfully develop.
01:29And here at this farm, he exports around 100,000 of these fish each year to over a dozen countries.
01:37Some may struggle with the idea of breeding designer fish in captivity for sale.
01:42But Xue says he hopes to use his business for the benefit of clownfish in the wild.
01:46The trend is going to show up to the wild.
01:48We want to prevent people from not doing wild.
01:51We want to prevent wild.
01:52We have wild.
01:55We want to encourage you to keep feeding the wild.
02:00You can choose wild.
02:06We can help our desire as well.
02:08While we want to prevent irrational and prevent our wild.
02:12to protect our loved ones.
02:17Xue does not do business with just anyone,
02:20especially not with those who plan to release his fish into the wild.
02:24Although his fish could survive there,
02:27he's concerned that they might unbalance the ecosystem.
02:30Experts have also praised Xue's efforts in protecting wild clownfish.
02:35It was so wonderful.
02:37First the organization,
02:39the clarity of the organization,
02:42how everything is really safe and clean and well designed,
02:48and the professionalism behind that,
02:51and the diversity of fish they have created by breeding and crossing many lines.
02:57Thanks to captive bred clownfish,
02:59there is much less clownfish captured in the wild for aquarium trade.
03:05Now, with years of working with clownfish,
03:08to Xue, his marine fish are more than just a commodity for sale.
03:13It's like our family, like our friends,
03:15so we also hope it can be better.
03:18Now, with his clownfish kingdom,
03:20Xue hopes to further show the world how his expertise and care
03:24can help protect the ocean and make a difference in conservation.
