Transportation of Ornamental Fish from Singapore to Europe

Introduction

Ornamental fish are those breed used for decorating homes and offices in aquarium. These breeds are of very vibrant colors, different shades of which are appealing and add value to the lifestyle and help in making home or office.

Though very beautiful in physical appearance these kinds of fish are very vulnerable. They have to be kept in a very sophisticated manner to ensure they not only remain alive and healthy, but do not lose their natural beauty.

Issues with Ornamental Fish

Temperature Issues:

Regular fluctuation in temperature can result in making ornamental fish exposed to different issues which can result in the death of the fish. These sophisticated kinds of fish must be made to live in an ideal temperature regime, in their comfort zone, so that they are kept far from dangerous situation.

Improper pH Level:

The level of pH of the water in which ornamental fish has been made to live should not create problems for the fish. The level of salt in the water should neither be very high nor low, as it can make the water too acidic or alkaline and create problems for the ornamental fish.

Tanks for Fish Accommodation:

Fish should be kept in tanks that are made of good quality material and properly sterilized. They should be covered and must be rinsed on regular basis to change the water into fresh one. Water should be kept clean from bacteria or germs that could contaminate it and cause danger to the fish.

One Breed in a Single Tank:

During transportation single tank should only contain a single breed of fish in order to ensure the safety level. There are some fish that could attack and harm other breeds and therefore must be made to live in separate tanks with similar species. Moreover, a single tank should not be overcrowded with the number of fish to save cost, otherwise, it could influence the level of ammonia which could be deadly for fishes.

Minimum Travelling Time

The transportation of the ornamental fish should be as fast as possible. No matter how long distance is to be covered while traveling from point of origin to point of arrival, it should be made fairly quickly.

Avoid Frequent Checking:

Fish suffer from stress if flash lights are regularly thrown at them. The level of stress can cause many problems to them and even make them ill, ultimately causing them to die. So the fish should be thoroughly checked once in eight hours.

Container Covered:

It is wise to use jars instead of bags for storing the fish during the travel. The jars should be properly covered and removed only for fresh air without throwing flash light. These jars should be resilient to transferring heat and should have the strength to maintain temperature.

Mode of Selection

Modes of Transport Available from Singapore to European Countries:

Since Singapore and European regions are far from each other, separated by different oceans that fall in the way, there are only very few modes of transport available. Those modes of logistics that are used through land cannot be availed. As a result, rail and heavy vehicles are out of cards for the company to consider as a mode of transport.

The remaining modes are ship and airplane that can be used by the company. It is important to closely examine the pros and cons of both these modes of transport in order to select the best possible option on long term basis.

Ship:

Advantages: Water transport is an inexpensive mode of transport. It does not require any extra infrastructure in order to initiate and carry on its journey. Tons of loads can be shipped from one part of the world to other by means of water transport. Most importantly, vessel is the safest mode of transport as the rate of accidents in sea is minimal. Even in case of an accident, recovery of good can be made on time if the accident is managed properly. Sea transport provides a number of routes from one destination to another. However, only proper analysis can help define the best possible means.

Disadvantages: Everything brings benefits and costs that are inseparable from the product or service. Similarly, sea transport has also different cons, the most important of which is the consumption of time. Ships in sea move very slowly due to their huge weight and volume as they carry tons of consignments at a time. In fact, it is the slowest mode of transport in comparison with the rest. Another factor which is important to consider is the pirate attacks that could ask for a ship ransom by threatening with serious consequences if their demands are not fulfilled. The analyses of different routes makes it possible to define the route which is vulnerable to any threat, especially is restricted geographically. Another important factor which is getting more probable due to global warming is climatic change. The chances to change the route are impossible due to the slow pace of the vessel and sudden changes of the climate.

Airplane:

Advantages: Air transport is undoubtedly the fastest mode of transport which has the ability to cover thousands of miles in less than a day. It is important to mention that ornamental fish requires quick transportation mode in order to be in its best health and physical state. In case of any sudden climatic change route can be changed and there would be no extra charges from the carrier. Even though time delay is possible, it cannot be very huge.

Disadvantages: Airplane is the most expensive mode of transport as compared to the rest of the options that could be used for logistics. As a result, economies of scale are hard to achieve. However, it is a very negative point for any company, especially considering the operations of ornamental fish export. The capacity of consignments to be carried is limited in airplanes and result in high transportation cost. In case of any accident, the chance of recovery is almost down to zero for any living being, whether human or fish.

Factors to Consider for Selecting Carrier:

Considering the two modes of transportation available for moving ornamental fish from Singapore to the cost of Europe, there are certain factors that need to be examined. Then a level of priority is set accordingly for each factor, the respective significance of each aspect can be seen. In a way, each factor would be given a certain weighted average out of 1.00. The following factors are to be taken into account:

1. Security: This factor is undoubtedly the most important among all factors that cannot be ignored at any cost during transportation. Ornamental fish should be secured and in their best possible health in order to be sold to different sellers in Europe. Security of the route matters as well. If the vehicle transporting the ornamental fishes is exposed to different insecurities it could result in the loss of time and cancellation of client orders. This factor takes 0.3 out of a total 1.
2. Environment: As discussed above, ornamental fish is very sophisticated kind of animals. Moreover, they are vulnerable to the harsh environment if made to live. It is important to make sure that the environment of containers, tanks and around them is optimal for the ornamental fish. Maintaining a suitable temperature is very important in terms of environmental factor so that ornamental fish can be calm and stress free. So, to select an appropriate carrier company must make sure that logistic solution provider has the necessary infrastructure in its shipping vehicle, whether aerial or oceanic, to accommodate ornamental fish. Out of a total 1 this factor can be given weight of 0.15.
3. Capacity: It is also important to make a note of the fact that carrier taking the shipment of ornamental fish has the right capacity to carry the required weight of the consignment. The company cannot organize frequent shipments and has to consider economies of scale for making sure cost is under control. On a total of 1 this factor can be given weight of 0.15.
4. Time Duration: Ornamental fish cannot be made to travel for long hours or even days since they can be exposed to those threats discussed above. So the mode of transport that takes the least amount of time will be leading in this aspect. Delivery at the right time and place is very significant factor for long term customer relationship and matters a lot in order to make customer’s operations run smoothly and efficiently. On a total of 1 this factor can be given weight of 0.22.
5. Cost: For company profit margin is a very significant issue, which should not drop down to a certain percentage or else, company management can seriously think to dilute or liquidate the business. The competition is fairly tough in terms of ornamental fish business. The offer of a low price rate is very important to capture and retain market share. For that reason, company cannot allow low percentage of gross profit margin. On a total of 1 this factor can be given weight of 0.18.

Selection of Best Possible Mode

Weight was given to each factor according to the level of its importance in the shipment of the ornamental fish. Now the two modes of transport of which one would be selected were given a rank for each factor. This rank is based on how strong or weak that mode of transport is in terms of the factor. For example, security was given weight of 0.30. Against this factor ship was given a rank 2 and airplane was given a rank 3. Ranks ranges from 1 to 4, in which 1 shows the mode which is highly weak in this regard, 2 indicates weak, 3 is given in case the mode is strong and 4 demonstrates the mode that is highly strong. Each mode rank is made to multiply the weight against corresponding factor in order to generate the weighted value of the mode in that factor. Ship has a weighted value of 0.60 in security whereas airplane has 0.90 against concerning the factor of security. A table was generated to present the weighted value of each mode, calculated for each factor. The weighted values of a single mode were all added to finally calculate the total weighted value of the respective mode.

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