Vietnam leads the world in breeding high-value sushi fish in lab
Vietnam has become the first country in the world to successfully breed amberjack, a high-value fish popular in Japanese cuisine.
The breakthrough is expected to boost Vietnam’s seafood industry and possibly change the future of amberjack farming worldwide.
The announcement was made by Associate Professor Dr. Dang Thi Lua, head of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 1, during a national science and technology meeting held on May 10.
The institute managed to breed amberjack in captivity for the first time, something countries like Japan and China have tried but not achieved.
“This is the first time in the world that amberjack breeding has been successfully carried out, and it was done in Vietnam,” Dr. Lua was quoted by Tuoitre News as saying.
Amberjack which is especially valued in Japan, where it is commonly used in sashimi and sushi sells for around VND1 million or US$38.5 per kilogram and accounts for more than half of Japan’s farmed marine fish.
Japan currently leads in global amberjack production, with about 150,000 metric tons farmed each year.
The fish is also farmed in Chile and Mexico, with rising demand from South Korea, the United States, and Europe.
Vietnam’s efforts to farm amberjack began in 1991, using wild fry from the waters near Da Nang. However, the limited supply of wild juveniles made large-scale farming impossible.
The recent success came when researchers saw that fry started feeding on artificial feed from the 18th day of rearing, a key milestone in fish breeding.
Vietnam’s researchers now plan to raise the fry to the juvenile stage and carry out commercial farming trials. If successful, it could open up a new chapter for the country’s aquaculture sector.
In addition to amberjack, Vietnamese scientists have also managed to breed fourfinger threadfin, another valuable fish with strong export potential.
