Vietnam exported nearly 483,000 metric tons of pangasius (tra, basa) through September worth more than $1 billion, both record highs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The increase in pangasius exports represents a 77 percent increase in volume and a 52 percent increase in value over last year. The fish is now the country's fastest-growing product from its emerging aquaculture industry.
The ministry says Russia is Vietnam's largest market and that demand is growing throughout Europe.
However, the rise of Vietnam's pangasius supply is having an adverse impact on the environment. Ministry officials reported that tra and basa farming produces 600 metric tons of waste annually, which goes directly into rivers. A 2006-07 survey showed that 90 percent of 184 seafood processing facilities caused environmental pollution.
