Maruha Nichiro to Increase Basa Imports

To meet a rising demand for whitefish, Maruha Nichiro Seafoods, of Japan, today announced plans to begin full-scale imports of basa to sell to the foodservice industry.

The company plans to purchase 850 tons of basa in 2009, 3.5 times more than in 2007, from a Vietnamese seafood company that farms the fish.

Maruha Nichiro, the world's largest seafood company, began importing basa on a trial basis last year and is targeting basa sales of $5 million next year.