Vietnam's KLC Seafood Establishes Aquaculture Cooperative, Targeting Live Seafood Markets in China and Other Asian Countries

Vietnamese seafood company KLC Seafood has recently established a new aquaculture cooperative aimed at strengthening its live seafood supply chain for key Asian markets including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The cooperative, named KLC Dai Duong XI Aquaculture and Tourism Cooperative, is located in Khanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam.

KLC Seafood operates approximately 884 hectares of affiliated farming area across Cam Ranh, Van Ninh and Tuy An provinces nationwide. The company said the new cooperative will help it organize supply sources, improve traceability and strengthen quality control at the farming stage.

A representative of KLC Seafood told SeafoodSource that the cooperative will bring together more than 120 members, connecting local farmers with KLC Seafood's procurement, quality control, logistics and export capabilities. The representative said the new initiative helps secure a more stable supply of live seafood, which is critical to preserving quality in terms of handling, transport conditions and delivery timing.

The cooperative plans to focus on high-value seafood, with priority species including lobster varieties such as green lobster and ornate spiny lobster. Other products that may be included in the cooperative include grouper and spotted Babylon snail.

At the launch ceremony, KLC Seafood signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese partner to develop commercial ties and promote Vietnamese seafood exports to China. The company said the agreement will help KLC Seafood expand its trade partner network in China, but specific sales volumes and financial commitments were not disclosed.

China is one of KLC Seafood's key international markets, especially for live green lobster and ornate spiny lobster. Despite the rise of e-commerce channels in China, a survey by the Global Seafood Alliance last year found that live seafood remains the preferred way for surveyed Chinese consumers to buy seafood, typically from holding tanks at wet markets, with 72.8% of respondents holding this preference.

According to company data cited by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), KLC Seafood has captured this persistent preference: exports totaled USD 85.9 million (about EUR 80 million) in the first five months of 2026. Over the same period, KLC Seafood's subsidiary Phat Loi recorded exports of USD 83 million (about EUR 74.2 million).

KLC Seafood said its affiliated supply network has an annual seafood supply capacity of approximately 12,000 tons.