The production blow to Thailand’s shrimp farms from early mortality syndrome (EMS) this year has created a domino effect for Ecuadorian producers, with some switching production from tilapia to shrimp as a result.
The dearth in supply is pushing Chinese buyers to call Ecuador for product, said the Ecuadorian farmer Omarsa.
Buyers that had never bought from Omarsa before are now hunting the company down to get product.
“We get 8-10 requests for shrimp every day from new buyers [in China],” Sandro Coglitore, general manager for Ecuador-based shrimp supplier Omarsa, told Undercurrent News.
Not only is it easy to make sales, the price is extremely attractive. “Prices are going up all over the board,” he said. “It’s crazy. They just want all shrimp.”
Prices are up across the globe. For HSLO vannamei from Indonesia, prices are up at $6 per pound currently, a significant improvement from $4.95 last year at this time.
Omarsa’s businesses focuses on shrimp exclusively, but for those that do both shrimp and tilapia, the shrimp is beginning to look much more attractive.
Swapping tilapia for shrimp
Ecuadorean supplier Santa Priscila is converting 40% of its tilapia farms to shrimp farms this year due to increasing demand from both Asia and conventional markets.
Santa Priscila’s tilapia farms are part of polyculture sites, which are also used for shrimp, and the company has plans to begin converting 40% of those shared sites exclusively to shrimp, Santa Priscila’s Roberto Coronel Kronfle told Undercurrent.
The company produces mangos, shrimp and tilapia. Tilapia brings in 12% of the sales that shrimp does, but it will be less once the conversion happens.
Francisco Murillo, chief business development officer for Regal Springs, said this switch is happening in Ecuador since the start of the year.
Murillo said he knew of one producer that switched from farming entirely tilapia to entirely shrimp, and he predicts the shift will create a noticeable shortfall of tilapia in the US market this year.
There already is a shortfall when compared to last year. Tilapia exports from Ecuador to the US took a 13% dive during the first four months of the year, dropping to 2,741t compared to 3,152t last year
Even more noticeable is the overall shortage of tilapia imports to the US for the period. Imports of tilapia overall are down 11% in the first four months of the year, from 72,300 metric tons last year to 63,900t this year.
In contrast, overall imports in 2012 were up 18%, to 227,442t, including a 225t increase from Ecuador, to 8,381t.
Regal Springs is planning to more than make up for the shortfall in tilapia from Ecuador with its new plant in Mexico, which it just finished production on in February. The plant currently is producing at a rate that would equal 3,500t per year at the outset, but it has the capacity to produce 14,100t eventually, said Murillo.
US shrimp imports through April were down almost 9%. From Ecuador, the shortfall was 11.8% year to date, with Ecuador shipments to the US totaling 52.9 million lbs.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.
(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the United States reached US$189 million, down 8% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached US$22 million, down 28%. This trend indicates that U.S. demand for pangasius imports has remained relatively cautious this year, as importers tend to maintain moderate inventory levels and limit stockpiling.
(vasep.com.vn) After three days at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam International Fisheries Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 – has successfully concluded, leaving a strong impression in terms of scale, visitor numbers, the quality of business connections, and innovative activities. With more than 14,000 m² of exhibition space, 335 companies, 568 booths, participation from representatives of 17 countries and territories, and nearly 15,000 visitors, VIETFISH 2026 has once again affirmed its role as an important meeting point for Vietnam’s and the global seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Held as part of Vietfish 2026 from August 19–21 at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City, a series of five specialized seminars provided the seafood business community with updates on markets, technology, standards, human resources and cooperation opportunities. With the participation of experts, international organizations, government agencies and businesses from Vietnam and abroad, the seminars created an additional platform for professional exchange alongside the exhibition’s product showcases and business networking activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 officially opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. With 568 booths representing 335 companies, alongside the presence of senior government officials, local authorities, diplomatic missions and international partners, VIETFISH 2026 kicks off three days of business networking, technology exchange and market engagement under the overarching theme “Innovation and Sustainability.”
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) officially announces that the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) will take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
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