This volume represents a 28.2 per cent less than the same period last year, when it produced 6,334 tonnes. Despite this marked decrease, Sinaloa remains one of the leading producers of tilapia in Mexico.
According to data provided by Conapesca, this state had a total production of 9,191 tonnes of tilapia in 2010. Just over 91 per cent of this amount, 8,403 tonnes, came from aquaculture. In 2011, the production of farmed tilapia fell to 5,793 tonnes, showing a decrease of 31 per cent yoy.
Meanwhile, capture fisheries contributed last year 541 tonnes of tilapia, that is to say, 31.3 per cent less than in 2010 (788 tonnes). In Sinaloa there are few companies dedicated to the production of tilapia. Last year, among 727 aquaculture production units only 61 made tilapia capture or farming, Noroeste reported.
Nationally, most of the production comes from tilapia aquaculture farms, notes Edmundo Urcelay Gutierrez, National Committee Tilapia Production System manager.
Mexico produces between 76,000 and 80,000 tonnes of tilapia. "This production is generated in three forms of cultivation: in controlled systems that generate approximately 70 per cent, in aquacultural fisheries, 15 per cent, and in what we commonly call extractive activity, which is fishing, between 10 per cent and 15 per cent ," he pointed out.
Mexican production covers about 30-40 per cent of domestic demand, and is supplemented by imports, mainly from China. Today Mexico imports more than 75,000 tonnes of tilapia fillets and between 12,000 and 15,000 tonnes as a whole product, according to Urcelay Gutierrez.
"The most productive States are Veracruz, Sinaloa, Michoacan, Jalisco and Tabasco," he added.
Increasing production is one of the challenges facing Mexican producers. Urcelay Gutierrez argues that it is necessary to double production to displace imported products. But he also emphasizes that production costs must be reduced "at least 25 per cent to be competitive at international prices."
When particularly referring to Sinaloa, the manager said: "We have estimates based on the resources in the state that show that no less than 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes per year of tilapia can be produced in controlled systems. I'm not counting aquacultural fisheries that occur in dams and lagoons; Sinaloa can remain one of the major tilapia producing State in the country."
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
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