South Dade fish farmers struggle to stay afloat

Tucked away inside his Redland home, not far from the deep concrete troughs that house his stock of Japanese koi and cichlids, ornamental fish farmer Paul Radice hides his secret stash: a small colony of fish native to central Africa's Lake Tanganyika.

They are albinos, a rare fluke -- different from their 25,000 genetic cousins kept outside in tanks -- that Radice hopes he can breed into a profitable new strain of the popular Tropheus Duboisi -- normally a jet black fish with small white spots.

''They're so precious I keep them in the house, just to protect them from any kind of accident,'' Radice said.

Radice's Angels Hatchery is among the survivors of what was was once the national hub for fish farming -- South Miami-Dade. Development of the once-rural area has changed the industry in the 36 years since Radice set up shop, and those changes pose an even greater threat than usual farming concerns like hurricanes and cold snaps.