Page 23 - AWA Vol.42-No.6 issue

FISHERIES AND FISH FARMING

Strategic collaboration with NAVICO

for Nile Tilapia programme

Nam Viet Corporation (NAVICO)
and Benchmark Genetics Norway
AS (BGN) are pleased to announce
a long-term strategic collaboration
to develop an advanced selective
breeding program for Nile tilapia
(Oreochromis niloticus) in Vietnam.
The partnership brings together
NAVICO’s position as one of Viet-
nam’s largest aquaculture compa-
nies with the ambition to develop a
fully integrated tilapia value chain,
and BGN’s global expertise in de-
signing and operating high-perfor-
mance breeding programs for more
than 30 aquaculture species.

NAVICO is making a strategic
transition from pangasius to tilapia
to meet evolving market demands
and unlock new growth opportuni- essential for cost-effective produc- food.
ties. As one of the world’s largest tion and delivering premium tilapia “Our ambition is to position tilapia
concentrated aquaculture farming to both domestic and international as a premium product and export
operations, NAVICO holds both markets. from Vietnam, supported by a ful-
ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship The partnership has already ly integrated and sustainable val-
Council) and BAP (Best Aquacul- reached a significant milestone with ue chain,” said Mr Doan Chi Thien,
ture Practices) certifications – two of the successful establishment of an Chief Executive Officer at NAVICO.
the most rigorous global standards optimally structured base popula- “Partnering with Benchmark Genet-
for responsible aquaculture. These tion. This achievement marks the
achievements highlight the compa- transition from program design ics ensures access to world-cålass
ny’s long-standing commitment to to implementation and lays the technologies that enable us to de-
quality, sustainability, and environ- groundwork for long-term genetic liver consistent product quality and
mental stewardship. meet growing market expectations.”
improvement. Building on this foun-
As part of the collaboration, Bench- dation, the partners are now prepar- “NAVICO is a forward-thinking
mark Genetics will design and pro- ing to integrate genomic selection to partner with a bold vision for the
vide ongoing expert guidance and maximize genetic gain for survival, future of tilapia farming in Viet-
operational support for a state-of- robustness, and other commercially nam,” said Dr Morten Rye, Director
the-art selective breeding program important traits, positioning the pro- of Genetics Services and Interna-
for Nile tilapia, applying proven ge- gram at the forefront of modern tila- tional Strategies at Benchmark Ge-
netic improvement strategies to en- pia breeding and further strengthen- netics. “We are proud to contribute
hance growth rate, feed conversion ing NAVICO’s position as a leading our global expertise in genetic im-
efficiency, and robustness — traits global producer of high-quality sea- provement to support NAVICO’s
ambitious goal and to help raise the
standard for sustainable aquaculture
in one of the world’s most import-
ant seafood-producing nations.”The
program will be implemented in
Vietnam, providing long-term value
to NAVICO’s operations, its custom-
ers, and the broader tilapia sector in
Southeast Asia. By combining NAVI-
CO’s operational scale with Bench-
mark Genetics’ industry-leading ge-
netics services, the partnership aims
to set new industry benchmarks for
quality, efficiency, and sustainability
in tilapia farming. Circle 23 on enquiry card
Vol. 42 No. 6 21