USSEC will participate in the Asian – Pacific Aquaculture trade show, “Positioning for Profit.”  This meeting will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from December 10-13 and will provide the aquaculture community an opportunity to learn about the latest in aquaculture growth in Southeast Asia and to experience the latest technology.

USSEC Southeast Asia Technical Director – Aquaculture Lukas Manomaitis has submitted an abstract titled “Investing in Southeast Asian Aquaculture:  Where Targeted Investment Can Make a Difference for Industry and Profit for Investors” and will give an oral presentation at the meeting on this topic.  Mr. Manomaitis, together with Dr. Michael Cremer, International Aquaculture Senior Program Advisor; Anthony Emms, John Lindblom, USSEC Regional Director – Southeast Asia; and Colby Sutter, International Aquaculture Marketing Manager, have been conducting a survey of the aquaculture industry in SE Asia to better learn what hinders investment in the industry and to identify where targeted investment could improve the aquaculture value chain in SE Asia.
The presentation will detail how, over the course of USSEC’s 30 year involvement in the SE Asia region, the aquaculture industry has grown but continues to be held back by critical control points in the aquaculture value chain and lack of long term thinking.  The objective of the survey is to specifically identify where further investment could make the most impact and detailing the steps to be taken to encourage targeted investment by both regional and extra- regional investors.  The expected benefit to the U.S. soy industry is that identified constraints could be overcome and the industry would have the increased confidence to continue moving toward high quality, feed-based systems.  Soy would then see increased inclusion in feed as the primary replacement protein.
The focuses of the survey are the target nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.