Toan Dao has written about Vietnam’s business community, with a focus on energy and agriculture, for a number of Vietnamese and international outlets for more than 10 years. As a contributing editor for SeafoodSource in Southeast Asia, he also covers other major seafood producers in the region including Indonesia and Thailand.
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Attempting to take advantage of the ongoing trade standoff between China and the U.S., Vietnam has floated the idea of scaling up exports of tilapia, particularly to the U.S. market.
Though tilapia is not currently a key export commodity for Vietnam, which deals greater numbers of farmed pangasius and shrimp, exports of Chinese tilapia to the U.S. market are set to decrease dramatically due to the standoff, creating a market gap.
“[U.S.
… Read MoreIndian aquaculture technology company Aquaconnect announced plans to invest USD 4.5 million (EUR 4.1 million) into the research and production of aquaculture biological solutions that should help the firm provide science-driven health innovations for shrimp and fish farmers.
In order to make this happen, Aquaconnect said it plans to leverage its network of 850 aqua partners across India – its own term for entrepreneurs in rural areas who
… Read MorePublicly listed seafood companies in Vietnam saw shares drop dramatically on 3 April after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 46 percent tariff rate on all goods from the country.
Government officials in Vietnam said they were shocked by the high rate, and the VN-Index, representing the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), plunged 6.68 percent to 1,229.84 on 3 April – the sharpest decline in the index’s history.
Listed seafood
… Read MoreFollowing delays, Indian seafood exporters are continuing their work to obtain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certifications for several wild-capture fisheries in the country.
Since 2019, exporters in the South Asian nation have implemented various fishery improvement projects (FIPs) aimed at improving sustainability within India’s fisheries and achieving MSC certification, according to MSC India Consultant Ranjit Suseelan.
The FIPs,
… Read MoreBrazil has lifted a ban on imports of tilapia from Vietnam in an effort to boost trade between the two countries.
On 15 February 2024, Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry halted all tilapia imports from Vietnam, pending a review of health protocols and concern over introduction of the TiLV virus into its domestic aquaculture industry.
“It means being cautious, guaranteeing quality and health in Brazilian production,” Brazil
… Read MoreA law that Thailand’s House of Representatives approved in late 2024 aiming to roll back reforms the nation had made to its fisheries industry has stalled in parliament after facing steady backlash.
In 2015, Thailand issued a new Fisheries Act that contained stringent regulations seeking to address alleged illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and labor violations in the country’s fishing industry.
The reforms responded
… Read MoreThe United Kingdom will provide funding for universities and research institutions to implement four projects supporting sustainable aquaculture in Southeast Asia.
On 7 March, U.K.’s national funding agency – U.K. Research and Innovation (UKRI) – announced that it has launched a GBP 12 million (USD 15.5 million, EUR 14.3 million) program to provide funding for four projects to strengthen sustainable aquaculture in Southeast
… Read MoreFishers and aquaculturists in Thailand are urging the nation’s government and relevant stakeholders to take action to address the spread of invasive blackchin tilapia, which have been devouring fry and roe at alarming rates on affected farms.
Blackchin tilapia are aggressive predatory fish that hunt and feed on other fish species. Their average reproductive cycle is around 22 days, with a single female capable of producing between 200 and
… Read MoreInternational food and beverage manufacturing company Thai Union reported positive performance in its ambient and petcare segments in the fourth quarter of 2024, leading to gross profit margin gains and helping the firm close out a strong year overall.
Thai Union released its Q4 results on 17 February, which highlighted that the company achieved net profits of THB 1.2 billion (USD 36 million, EUR 34.3 million) in the quarter.
In the same
… Read MoreA widespread outbreak of avian influenza in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has heavily affected the area’s chickens and, subsequently, triggered a surge in seafood demand.
Around 500,000 chickens raised for egg production have died in the East Godavari, Eluru, and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh since 13 January, when the first deaths were reported, Times of India said on 11 February.
In an effort to identify the
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