HERMANTOWN, MN – With more people staying home over the last couple of years, the fish hobby has become more popular and the folks at World of Fish in Hermantown saw an uptick in business during that time. The struggle for them during Covid has been on the supply side with international trade shutting down along with the increase in demand. Some of the shortages they are still dealing with are live fish, fish tank decorations, and even the some of the larger aquariums themselves where the waitlist is as long as four months. But, people are willing to wait because of their love for pet fish.
“Oh, I just love it. Ya know, who doesn’t like fish. It’s been known to lower blood pressure, lower stress, people like to nurture things and watch things grow. Planted tanks are really popular nowadays. It’s, it’s just a joy,” said owner Lisa Kamp.
One type of fish that is in very short supply right now are the fancy goldfish which are typically imported from places like China and South America.