Making Millions Farming Banned Fish: Vietnam’s Endangered Arowana Hustle

Checkout ‪@CARONGVIETNAM‬ and ‪@hugo_duong‬ for more Vietnamese Arowana content
Imagine a fish that costs more than a luxury car-now imagine a whole farm of them.
In Vietnam, locals are making serious cash breeding experimental Arowana, aka “Dragon Fish.” These living status symbols are highly coveted and come in some of the rarest, most beautiful forms.
Today, we’re diving deep into the world of high-stakes fish farming. From Saigon’s bustling fish markets to a specialized Arowana shop showcasing mutant, high-end fish, we’ll explore the insane regulations surrounding these creatures. Then, we’ll visit a farm where millions of dollars swim right at your feet.
By the end, you’ll see why people risk fortunes (and maybe even jail time) for these fish.

[@hugo_duong]

The video is amazing, thank you Andrew's team for taking the time to visit Cá Rồng Việt Nam and don't forget to mention Hugo Duong KZbin channel. Thank you so much. Love this channel. Keep it up ! 🥰

[@RidArmand]

Theres alot of misconceptions about this video. Asian Arowana Red/Gold is not illegal and going extinct. It is illegal if you follow the rules the American (CITES) set. The rules should already been lifted since the 90s. Infact all other countries in this world except America has been able to import Asian Arowana. The only exception is the Green(Nami) and Batik Arowana from Myanmar. This 2 Arowana are so rare and pricier than the Red and Gold if they are in color morph (Albino) Red Arowana are being mass produced in Indonesia especially the Super Red from Kalimantan. Low grade Red like Banjar Red and Yellow Tail are very cheap less than USD50 Gold Arowana and Blue Base Golden (Bukit Merah) are from Malaysia and sold at almost every Fish shop here. Both from different locality. Low grade Gold like Red Tail Golden(RTG) and Highback Gold are easily under USD50. Green Arowana like Nami Green from Pahang and Perak, Malaysia are so rare that people thought it to be extinct in the wild and farms are having problems breeding this fish. Normal Green Arowana are still plenty in the fish shop. Batik Arowana from the Myanmar are so rare also and hard to find in any fish shop. Lastly there is no Asian Arowana endemic to Vietnam. And that is not the way to breed Asian Arowana in cheap plastic tarp. They should be bred naturally on Clay pond. This video just showing a reseller in Vietnam. I have written a long post about Asian Arowana in MFK Monster Fish Keeper forum back in early 2000s about all of this. The CITES should lifted the rules and let the Asian Arowana to only be imported from Endemic country. Gold from Malaysia. Red from Indonesia and etc. This is to prevent Mass uncontrolled production from China without Microchipped fish.

[@jimmyoh1982]

Correct.. This video has misleading information..

[@ellazu3536]

Totally agreed, there are millions of those fish in farms.

[@daviddoan68]

can I have link to your post on MFK please

[@xdas32]

Thank you for taking your time to explain this 🙏 you are 100% right about this seller's breeding condition It is odd, I visited a few well known Arowana farms in Vietnam, they use clay ponds.

[@thinkingaloud5379]

you sure know what you are writing about!

[@YaoJienSaephan]

Man I love your channel. It’s not too long, not too short, extremely informative, and amazing visuals. Keep it up!!

[@Unhomiee]

At 12:58, there's a mistake/typo in the video. It should read 150,000 USD instead of 15,000 USD..

[@MetalGearMk3]

you are right. that is one expensive fish!

[@daviddoan68]

@@MetalGearMk3 I'm really astounded by the amount of money some Vietnamese paid for frivolous thing like this. There are stories, every now and then, of someone paying that kind of money for a bonsai tree, or some kind of orchard flower. Vietnam is a low-income country and apparently low IQ for some.

[@phong0210]

Actually 3.7 billion VND is about USD$150,000 😂

[@johnnyv303]

Troi oi! 🤯😂

[@adam-hc8ub]

thats what i was thinking, he told worth a luxury car money

[@imran4968]

Lol

[@onthatsiete]

Something your broke ass will never touch in LIFE

[@hugo_duong]

Yes exactly ❤

[@VuTang858]

If the US allows the sale of these things, every Asian household would have one.

[@Ntsej_Muag]

My brother in law had a albino Arowana. It was almost half the size of a 75 gallon tank. That thing was huge.

[@JeffBilkins]

Little disappointed you didn't taste them but it was still interesting.

[@potatostarch-h3i]

i used to see these fish in old school vhs movies where a crime boss would have a massive one swimming in a tank.

[@JohnT2088]

The super red arowana is the super expensive one in the fish hobby. The one you see in most common fish stores are the silver amazon arowana.

[@brentgabel3660]

Until the 5:33 mark I was asking myself "Why does he keep saying 'marijuana'?". Ohhhhhhhhh. Arowana. That makes more sense.

[@IgorEngelen1974]

not so different from the koi market

[@clearwateraquariumCA]

ANDREW! A video just for me?! Thank you! 😊

[@Andrew_Fraser]

Anytime! Fish farms are my kind of thing.

[@brucewayne2773]

Just when I thought you were actually going to eat one on your channel Andrew 😋

[@Andrew_Fraser]

Hahah yeah, I’m definitely not bringing in that kinda cash yet. I’d love to get one for the office someday.

[@ballistic350]

​@Andrew_Fraser tell sonny to buy one for y'all to eat😂😂😂

[@brucewayne2773]

@@ballistic350 Probably does not taste very good either , so I would pass.

[@sproject6962]

Another good work from Andrew team. I know mr. Tri since he founded Ca Rong VN, its good to see you filmed his business.

[@CARONGVIETNAM]

Thanks u so much❤❤❤❤😊

[@PCP-ov7nj]

Why are they making arowana short with hump? Does look good at all

[@tommyho7156]

Dude I love these arowana videos u got a new sub from me

[@Andrew-oy5lb]

Did u ever think we would live in a world where a specifically colored fish would be worth me than human life. Lol. Crazy world were livin in

[@ballistic350]

And illegal in the states, like wtf how, its a fish no ones gonna release in the wild...

[@TascastFishing]

Wow this is absolutely eye opening! Brilliant documentary 🙌

[@garykap]

The title is extremely misleading. these farmed fish are not endangered. it's the wild fish.. This is not a hustle, This is a serious legal company created by a fish hobbyist and years of hard.work.

[@orometo]

Awesome video Andrew recently discovered your channel love the format especially the fish farm tours !

[@bensoohoo1061]

Can't even share this video on Facebook because of the title. 😅

[@Andrew_Fraser]

lol really 😅 ?

[@user-up9iq7ic8z]

But do They '''TASTE GOOD '''???...Are They better Fry or Baked ?

[@HoangNguyen-rd3wr]

I usually like to eat them as sashimi.

[@user-up9iq7ic8z]

Also Great for Me....

[@glynndraper437]

Of course not they are fresh water fish

[@unknownpeople3378]

This fish has very tender meat, but be careful with the bones .

[@tedysubandy5299]

Long time ago people used to eat this fish in Kalimantan (Indonesian) where they were found in the river. You can still eat it now if you can afford it

[@alisonwilson632]

Awesome video, thanks so much, really enjoyed it

[@bangtran9139]

Great clip, totally enjoyed love from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@tnductai]

wrong conversion there vid editor 😂 $150k not 15k

[@reavl6494]

nicely produced sir

[@SackusSchmackus1]

lovely content andrew, lovely.

[@eduardochavacano]

If more vloggers make videos about this area of Saigon, showing the giant fish tanks, the value of this fish may drop. No more mystery, 😢

[@Cordycep1]

My friend had aquarium business in San francisco in early 1990s, he would would import those illegal Arawana from Asia, and hide the fish from govt Wild Life inspectors at the port of entry. He has no problem finding buyers in early 1990s which he reselled for $50K.

[@dragoonzen]

awesome video, very great shots.

[@HueNYC]

Excellent video Andrew

[@gtrfreak]

What backpack are you using? looks water resistant

[@USMC978]

Endangered status don’t mean anything to Asians 🤣

[@nopadelik9286]

well actually it's the other way around, it does mean everything for their business. Down there they have around 150 CITES registered fish farms breeding Asian Arowanas in captivity, with needed licenses and all, each fish gets its own CITES id, with papers and RFID chip to make sure each fish can be tracked when sold.

[@CreditBroker]

Wow! This is a great episode

[@KennyEatsWorld]

beautifully done documentary. didn't know district 5 ornamental fish market is so huge. I would love to visit next time

[@artleo1251]

1:50 is when the video starts

[@artleo1251]

Actually 3:15 is where the video starts

[@Dreamer66617]

Such a good cinematography. your stiull getting betyter and better m,an

[@c-LAW]

3:37 "my friend and owner" -- I'm sure this is very objetcive from this point on.

[@NatureBoy736]

Wish we can have these Asian arrows here in USA 🇺🇸. In the 90’s I knew some Asians would go the Canada and bring them over to the US. They sold for 5-10k usd.

[@CaoTri_Vu]

12:56 you missed one zero at the end. it's $150k not $15k

[@potatostarch-h3i]

your videos are very well done. and very interesting niche subjects. very impressive

[@leehaseley2164]

Although I can't get my head around why people would spend that much money on a fish, or other pet for that matter, it was fascinating to see what goes into the industry.

[@shinneneguns4815]

Fuark this is meal worthy but it's not meal time 😢 keep it up G, the videos are insanely interesting and the production keeps on improving more and more

[@somerandomfella]

That would make some expensive sashimi..

[@amdzack1]

Wild asian arowanas are considered endangered mainly due to habitat loss not because of the aquarium trade. The ones that are sold on asian aquariums are not wild caught but considered new breeds/strain of arowana that were specifically bred for the market. It takes decades of breeding to get aquarium grade fish and decades more to get those premium class breeds. Btw wild caught Asian Arowana are not suitable for the trade due their look and colors are lacking compared to those sold in aquariums.

[@andyhallbootdoctornz3991]

Probably a dumb question but do they eat these things or do they put them in aquariums to show the friends?

[@iwakproyek9254]

Arwana super red Original Indonesian 🇮🇩, Why don't you come directly to Indonesia?

[@Andrew_Fraser]

I’m shooting in Indonesia February next year. Maybe then if I can get the connections.

[@rambo20242]

Awesome bro! Love it mate

[@davidd5226]

This could easily be on TV. Louis Theroux mark 2.

[@KimNgo-f9u]

Owner of the shop very fun guy .

[@KamotengDahon]

Recommending to buy endangered species. Sounds good to me.

[@peetymcfly8871]

They are just really expensive gold fish. Someone's really expensive hobby. Arowana even sound like marajuana. lol

[@mr.niceguy2524]

Best quality Arowana (arwana) its From Indonesia

[@QuocNguyen-ly2lw]

Please, Andrew make another one that’s part two about the habitat of this Asian arowana, please please….

[@laurakarr29]

And another one about the kind of aquarium/pond setups these superstar fish end up in.

[@Nes71798]

That farm not breeding farm. they just buy from another farm (thailand,malaysia,indonesia) then feed them for bigger size in the pond and they sell in there country.

[@ballistic350]

Make it legal in the states so we can breed and grow the population back smh,

[@edward2448]

Hey Andy, My friend has a silver one that's over a foot long. I'll ask him to snap a pic and I'll Gmail it to you. I would be curious about the taste. Let's throw an Arowanna on the Bar-B 😋😆 See You Next Time ✝️🐢

[@JohnT2088]

Theres a restaurant in California that has 1 super red arowana that 20k usd 😂. Just a different color but world apart in cost

[@Andrew_Fraser]

I used to catch Saratoga (Aus version) while fishing at Hinze Dam, Gold Coast, back when I was a teenager. I think you can legally keep and eat them, though the bag limits are pretty tight. We never did-heard they’re super bony-but it was still my favorite thing to catch. Such a cool lookin fish.

[@potterj09]

I want to be a hippy and I wanna go broke on Aro ... Arowana !

[@billlam7756]

I thought this a food channel???? I'm disappointed no catch cook! 😂

[@Andrew_Fraser]

That would be an expensive meal

[@tedysubandy5299]

Very beautiful fish love it

[@888Peetah]

Holy moly! $150k for a fish!?

[@El_Pollo_Loco]

For that price tag I expect the soy sauce included.

[@B0rn2Killlll1l1]

I paid $18000.00 AUD for my red arowana in Australia

[@Stefanonymous]

Nice good stuff man

[@sparksmobilerepair4025]

I want an Asian arowna sooo bad! id gladly pay 10k+ for a red color version!

[@JohnT2088]

The fish cost around that amount. Smaller size but with shipping maybe 15-20k usd total , shipping to the usa. Cost bit cheaper if your country is closer

[@sparksmobilerepair4025]

@@JohnT2088 yea if they were legal here id buy one in a heartbeat they are so nice! I own silvers currently but have always wanted an Asian arowna

[@MasterKenfucius]

Hey, let the Chinese pay for their good luck. Meanwhile, in America, we learned to make our good luck instead!!

[@marcusthewatchmechanic]

3mins 42views. What!? Come on guys. Haha

[@Silver_Noicers]

yea its an incredible business for THEM so they can have so much money, but the animal harm is fucked up bro, its not okay to do this to animals....

[@dedarahmed1091]

They should be unbanned as these fish are mostly farmed

[@BRZZ-xw4hd]

great vid thanks....peace out

[@danieldan9700]

3.7biillon dong is not 15.000 dollars you guys missed a 0 lol

[@kelliqh2721]

They look like Carp..... Expensive fish and chips !!! 🦘🦘🦘

[@JayandLisa]

It looks nothing like carp

[@Cordycep1]

carp dont fly up and catch a bird,

[@jimmyoh1982]

You should go to the Arowana Original country like Malaysia or Indonesia.. Not Vietnam.. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Andrew_Fraser]

Arowana are native to Vietnam also. Just as original here my man.

[@jimmyoh1982]

@@Andrew_Fraser are you sure🤣

[@SandroLendler]

Very interesting... ty!

[@mcdo724]

Good food show

[@trendrider8081]

Make a Koi farm content...

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

So do they or their supplier breed the fish or caught in wild?

[@Andrew_Fraser]

They breed In-house

[@garykap]

The wild fish are better to eat, not filled with poisoned, illegal dyes.

[@tme500ify]

the fishes you show are over priced , not as nice as I thought .they are some much nicer one in Indonesia Malaysia and china

[@watjejanssen7535]

love those arowana

[@brunochung8805]

no sound at 9:00 mn mark

[@Mr.Hooter702]

Can I grow these dumb ass fish here in the US? That is all I want to know.

[@timmyjones1921]

Amazing Indeed.

[@Silver_Noicers]

this poor animals....

[@artile99]

This video is misleading ... you should do more research 👎

[@khristian-u4f]

Nyim nam nam nyim nam nam 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MQT-]

I take it for 1 usd

[@1stPrinciples455]

Morality is more important than legality. For example, licensed prostitution and Gambling are vice activities in terms of morality. But they are perfectly legal. Need i explain more? Dont be fooled by legality

[@Andrew_Fraser]

Captive breeding has eliminated the demand for wild-caught Arowana since bred ones are healthier and far higher quality. It protects the species. Where’s the morality in letting them go extinct?

[@comontoshi]

Vietnamese “koi” . . . 😑

[@sombut415]

Awesome!

[@Obliviono]

It's so stupid to keep those fish in so small tanks.

[@manishawishalakmonarawiaca3214]

Sri Lanka rupis 2000000 😊at 13:25

[@nickynik5951]

💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@ad8737]

Just another video about dodgy Asians making illegal money! Poor fish

[@Andrew_Fraser]

This farm is fully certified. Nothing dodgy.

[@integrags1]

Expensive fish

[@KhoaTruong-gb8bs]

😂😂😂😂😂