Brazil surpasses 1 million tonnes of farmed fish in 2025
Challenges including weather, trade pressures, and declining native fish segments remain.
BRAZIL – Brazil produced 1,011,540 tonnes of farmed fish in 2025, exceeding 1 million tonnes for the first time and confirming its position as the top aquaculture producer in the Americas, according to the latest Peixe BR yearbook.
This output represents a 4.41% increase compared with 2024 levels, despite reports of adverse weather, disease issues, and price fluctuations affecting fish farmers.
Peixe BR highlighted additional pressure from international trade, noting that higher U.S. tariffs on Brazilian products have intensified competition from imported tilapia, particularly from Vietnam.
Tilapia continued to dominate Brazilian aquaculture, accounting for nearly 70% of total farmed fish production, with output reaching 707,495 tonnes, up 7% from 2024 and 148.2% from 2015 levels.
The increase in tilapia production has been linked to higher demand both domestically and abroad, as well as improvements in genetics, feed quality, production systems, and processing techniques.
Other fish categories performed less strongly, with native species output falling 0.63% to 257,070 tonnes, marking a third consecutive year of decline.
Production of pangasius, trout, and carp combined decreased 1.75% to 46,975 tonnes compared with the previous year, reflecting a slight drop across these segments.
The Peixe BR report suggested that sustaining growth will require ongoing investment in genetics, nutrition, equipment, and processing, alongside initiatives to expand domestic consumption and international exports.
Public policies supporting financing, logistics, and market development for native species were identified as critical for future sector performance.
Francisco Medeiros, president of Peixe BR, stated that the sector aims to maintain global leadership in farmed fish production over the coming decades while navigating the current challenges.
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