Pangasius hypophthalmus/Pangasianodon hypophthalmus - Tra
Tra is a fish with long body, grey black back, little white belly, big mouth and two pairs of barbells. The raising period varies from 6 to 8 months to reach the weight of 0,8 - 1,3 kg/fish. Tra fish mainly live in fresh water but also in blackish water (with salinity percent of 7 - 10‰), can bear in alum water (with pH level > 5), in hot tempreture up to 39oC but be easily died at temperature below 15oC. The volume of red corpuscles in Tra fish are much more than other fish. As the fish has an accessory respiratory organ and can also breathe with air bladder and skin, they can bear in the water lacking dissolved oxygen. The oxygen consumption and activity level of Tra fish is three times lower that the ones of a silver barb.
Pangasius bocourti - Basa
Basa is also a fish with long body. The standard length of the body is equivalent to 2.5 times of the height of the body. It has a short, slight round and flat head, a wide forehead and a small mouth of which the width is less than 10% of the standard length and which is lightly askew the snout. Its teeth of the lower jaw are big and wide and can be seen when the mouth is close. It has two pair of barbells, the length of the pair at upper jaw is equal to the one of the head, and the whiskers are long to or over the end of pectoral fin. It has big eyes, belly and spleen, the back side of the body is flat, the back and the head have the grey green colour, and the belly has the silver-white colour. The height of the tail-end is more than 7% of the standard length of the body. The raising period varied from 10 to 13 months to reach commercial weight of 1 - 1.5 kg/fish.
As Basa fish has no accessory respiratory organ and requires an oxygen level higher than the one of Tra fish, it can poorly bear in water with low dissolved oxygen level. Basa mainly live in freshwater, can lightly bear in brackish water and in alum water with pH level > 5,5. The supported temperature is from 18 - 40oC and the minimum oxygen level is about 1,1 mg/litre. In general, Basa fish can not support in severe environmental conditions as much as Tra fish. Therefore, they are mainly raised in floating cage.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
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