Kaix
07-28-2006, 09:14 AM
Stingray Aquarium has recently been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification for handling and conditioning of ornamental fish, water treatment, biological control and trading.
Now ranked in first place among Peruvian ornamental fish exporters, Stingray Aquarium is located in a country that has more than 500 native species of ornamental fish in its Amazonian region (latest research figures put the number of species found in the whole country at about 800). The company’s main facilities are in Iquitos, but it also has a presence in Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, and a re-packing facility, with a water treatment plant, in Lima, where the commercial offices are located.
As the domestic market for ornamental fish in Peru is very small, Stingray Aquarium looks to the export market for a large part of its business. (See Aquarama Magazine, Issue 5, October 2005).The company’s main export markets are Asia, Europe and the United States, with the majority of exports going to Asia and Europe. Its Asian network includes Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, while its European network consists of Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
In order to cater for such widespread markets, proper packaging is vital, to ensure a stress-free journey for the fish. The staff is, thus, constantly being trained to ensure that the highest quality standards are met.
Stingray Aquarium’s bags are made of polyethylene (4m), with a square base, ensuring easier transportation of packages with higher density. Special high-density styrofoam boxes are used to maintain the temperature of the water. The external boxes are made of corrugated carton (waxed paraffin), with expanded polymer edges. Craft paper and heat packs that keep the water temperature at a constant level throughout the journey are also used if required.
The staff constantly checks the water treatment process, including pHlevels, water hardness and temperature. Each unit has its own filtration and aeration systems and separate water tanks for each process have been installed to ensure they have the specific parameters required. A 20,000-litre tank for shipping water is the latest addition to the company’s resources. The company also goes a step further in its service to its customers by providing information on the needs and behaviour of each kind of fish it exports.
Javier Zavala, the sales manager, informs us that Stingray has now opened a branch in Colombia as well. The company based this decision on market research which indicated that its customers were looking for a reliable supplier in Colombia. This also means that, in addition to Peruvian species, the company is also able to provide Colombian ornamental fish to its global customers, such as Pleco three beacon (L091), Stingray flower (Potamotrygon schroederi), altum angel (Pterophyllum altum), cardinals, Pleco lemon-spotted green (L200) and royal farlowella, among others. This makes Stingray Aquarium the only Peruvian ornamental fish exporter to provide fish from two sources.
The company’s ISO 9001:2000 Certificate is well earned and the entire process, from the selection of the fish to the final export, is managed by skilled staff. Recently-caught fish from the Amazon basin rivers are classified by species and sizes and taken to the company’s quarantine tanks, where they are acclimatised for a number of days (according to the species) to ensure that they are ready for export. This task is performed by the company’s two in-field biologists.It is also important to mention that, according to Javier Zavala's research, Stingray Aquarium is the only company in South America (and perhaps all of
America) to have achieved this complete certification.
The company is not resting on its laurels, though. “ISO certification is not just a badge to show off and to be proud of”, said Javier. It is something that permeates the entire corporate culture of the company, with every employee committed to ensuring a consistently high standard of quality in the work process.
Each day, all the staff thoroughly review their responsibilities in the work chain, prepare memos and generate feedback; it is an interactive way of working, where improved methods are constantly tested to ensure that achieving quality becomes a daily goal. And… always looking to the future, this year's goal is to achieve ISO 14000 certification for environmental management standards.
Now ranked in first place among Peruvian ornamental fish exporters, Stingray Aquarium is located in a country that has more than 500 native species of ornamental fish in its Amazonian region (latest research figures put the number of species found in the whole country at about 800). The company’s main facilities are in Iquitos, but it also has a presence in Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, and a re-packing facility, with a water treatment plant, in Lima, where the commercial offices are located.
As the domestic market for ornamental fish in Peru is very small, Stingray Aquarium looks to the export market for a large part of its business. (See Aquarama Magazine, Issue 5, October 2005).The company’s main export markets are Asia, Europe and the United States, with the majority of exports going to Asia and Europe. Its Asian network includes Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, while its European network consists of Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
In order to cater for such widespread markets, proper packaging is vital, to ensure a stress-free journey for the fish. The staff is, thus, constantly being trained to ensure that the highest quality standards are met.
Stingray Aquarium’s bags are made of polyethylene (4m), with a square base, ensuring easier transportation of packages with higher density. Special high-density styrofoam boxes are used to maintain the temperature of the water. The external boxes are made of corrugated carton (waxed paraffin), with expanded polymer edges. Craft paper and heat packs that keep the water temperature at a constant level throughout the journey are also used if required.
The staff constantly checks the water treatment process, including pHlevels, water hardness and temperature. Each unit has its own filtration and aeration systems and separate water tanks for each process have been installed to ensure they have the specific parameters required. A 20,000-litre tank for shipping water is the latest addition to the company’s resources. The company also goes a step further in its service to its customers by providing information on the needs and behaviour of each kind of fish it exports.
Javier Zavala, the sales manager, informs us that Stingray has now opened a branch in Colombia as well. The company based this decision on market research which indicated that its customers were looking for a reliable supplier in Colombia. This also means that, in addition to Peruvian species, the company is also able to provide Colombian ornamental fish to its global customers, such as Pleco three beacon (L091), Stingray flower (Potamotrygon schroederi), altum angel (Pterophyllum altum), cardinals, Pleco lemon-spotted green (L200) and royal farlowella, among others. This makes Stingray Aquarium the only Peruvian ornamental fish exporter to provide fish from two sources.
The company’s ISO 9001:2000 Certificate is well earned and the entire process, from the selection of the fish to the final export, is managed by skilled staff. Recently-caught fish from the Amazon basin rivers are classified by species and sizes and taken to the company’s quarantine tanks, where they are acclimatised for a number of days (according to the species) to ensure that they are ready for export. This task is performed by the company’s two in-field biologists.It is also important to mention that, according to Javier Zavala's research, Stingray Aquarium is the only company in South America (and perhaps all of
America) to have achieved this complete certification.
The company is not resting on its laurels, though. “ISO certification is not just a badge to show off and to be proud of”, said Javier. It is something that permeates the entire corporate culture of the company, with every employee committed to ensuring a consistently high standard of quality in the work process.
Each day, all the staff thoroughly review their responsibilities in the work chain, prepare memos and generate feedback; it is an interactive way of working, where improved methods are constantly tested to ensure that achieving quality becomes a daily goal. And… always looking to the future, this year's goal is to achieve ISO 14000 certification for environmental management standards.