At the show, Undercurrent reported tilapia production in Mexico outstripped shrimp output by 30,000t last year, as shrimp harvestswere decimated by early mortality syndrome (EMS).
The growth means the government is now pinning hopes on tilapia, which is growing at a fast pace, as the most promising species for the country’s aquaculture.
Tilapia is also buoyed by a strong domestic demand, Alfredo Aranda, general coordinator of operations and institutional strategy at the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa) said during the event.
Mexicans consume some 130,000t of tilapia a year. Mexico’s shrimp harvest fell by 50% year-on-year last year, to just 50,000t, due in a large part to EMS. In contrast, tilapia production rose 6.6% to 80,000t.
To lure domestic customers, however, Mexican growers will have to find ways to compete with much cheaper imports from China.
“Until last year, shrimp was the most important Mexico’s aquaculture species in volumes and value, but due to EMS, tilapia already exceeded shrimp production,” Aranda said.
For next year, tilapia production is expected to reach 87,000t and, with a growth rate of 53.3%, tilapia could total 100,000t by 2016, Aranda said.
Shrimp harvest, on the other hand, is forecast to remain flat at 60,000t in 2014, before increasing to 80,000t in 2016 with a growth rate of just 9.6%. By 2018, harvests are expected to exceed pre-EMS production with volumes projected at 110,000t.
“We aim to recover shrimp volumes but, at the same time, we are betting on tilapia due to its trend in the market,” Aranda said.
Big domestic market
Tilapia has good growth potential in Mexico thanks to the country’s tropical climate, and increase domestic demand.
Its geographic location also makes it ideally poised to export to US. Last year, the US imported record high volumes of tilapia fillets, bringing in 59m pounds (26,761t).
“Mexico produces around 70,000t metric tons of tilapia annually, and it consumes 130,000t, so the potential is there,” Miguel A. Flores from Regal Springs Mexico said during the Aquamar conference.
The rest of the tilapia that Mexico consumes — 60,000t — is currently imported from China.
Competition with China could be a challenge for Mexican growers as tilapia prices from China are about 30% below Mexican prices, which are usually at around $2.5 per kilo of whole fish, Gonzalo Martinez, administration manager at the tilapia farm Tupez, based in Veracruz, told Undercurrent.
“If you export considerable volumes of fillets to the US the business will be profitable, but producing tilapia for Mexico is challenging, as retailers and consumers from the central area of the country would prefer to spend less money on tilapia,” Martinez said.
“However, locals from coastal areas will spend extra money to consume tilapia of quality,” he added.
Another Mexican tilapia player said the fodservice sector and retailers would prefer to buy big volumes from China over local tilapia, due to the price.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
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