With aquaculture representing a growing share of world production of fish and fishery products, the sector also contributes a growing proportion of the fish entering into international and regional trade. In particular, freshwater species from Asia dominate production and consumption but a number of freshwater species are also finding their way into international markets, including catfish, snakehead and increasingly also carp. In comparison with marine species, the price achieved by freshwater fish may not be very high and, probably for this reason, the sector's marketing channels remain fairly undescribed in available literature, especially at the national and regional level. However the large volumes produced and increasingly also exported generate significant levels of economic activity and export revenue with 2007 exports exceeding US$1 billion.

The report presents an overview of the value chain for selected farmed freshwater species in India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Information is included on prices, costs and margins and on the sector's contribution to local food security and poverty alleviation. Developments in processing and the potential of other species are also described.