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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports reached USD 7 million in June 2026, down 32% compared with the same month in 2025. Nevertheless, thanks to strong growth in the first five months of the year, cumulative tilapia exports in the first half of 2026 totaled USD 69 million, up 67% year on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the International Seafood Hosted Buyer Program has been designed as a dedicated B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers. The program provides opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood companies, gain market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A Story from Cà Mau’s Coast It’s 5 AM in Cà Mau. Minh, a third-generation fisherman, is ready to set sail. But unlike his father and grandfather, his boat no longer runs on an old diesel engine that burns fuel and clouds the sky with smoke. Instead, it’s powered by a hybrid engine that saves 40% fuel—funded by an ESG program from a major seafood exporter.
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