According to Soe Min, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock for Yangon Region, its opening has been postponed to allow authorities to choose higher-quality equipment for the aquarium.
The underwater aquarium will be the first in Myanmar to include clear displays of underwater scenes.
“We brought seawater from Chaung Tha so that we can display fish in seawater and fresh water tanks,” said the minister.
The aquarium has been managed by the regional government since October 1, 2011. The reconstruction programme was kicked off in 2013 and is expected to cost more than US$15 million. Through a bid, Myanmar Aquarium Co won the award to modernise the aquarium in return for the annual lease of Ks120 million.
The aquarium will be cover an area of 190,000 square feet and use 500,000 litres of water. It will house about 500 species of fish, including sharks, and about one million fish will be displayed. It is expected to be a major Myanmar landmark.