January 17, 2022

China's Hiseaton focuses to create hatchery business in Brunei

Chinese aquaculture firm Hiseaton has diverted its attention to developing a hatchery business in Brunei as freight transport into China for its farmed fish remains restricted due to COVID-19.

The company, a subsidiary of Guangxi, China-based Hiseaton Foods, operates the first large-scale fish farming enterprise in Brunei. The company planned expansions of its operations earlier this year and worked for years to gain access to the Chinese market.

However, COVID-19 has caused the company to shift its focus due to a closure on exports.

"Because of the second COVID wave in Brunei, there's no export container departure from Brunei," Hiseaton Fisheries Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Cherry told SeafoodSource. "But the good news is we now can produce fish [Barramundi/seabass] fingerlings circularly every month, and we are the only company that can realise this in Brunei."

COVID-19 has challenged the firm, which became Brunei's first large-scale fish farming enterprise when it was established in June 2016. The company's setting up of a hatchery has proven to be a positive move, due to a lack of fingerling imports.

"As no fingerlings can be imported to Brunei, many local farming companies have already closed or stopped business, but we still continue on everything," Wei said.

However, exporting back to China is central to Hiseaton's original business plan, a plan disrupted by COVID-19.

"The mature fish market in Brunei is very, very small," said Wei when asked if local sales could replace exports.

Hiseaton is farming golden pomfret (pompano), goldeneye perch (Barramundi) and various types of groupers in Brunei waters – all species highly sought after in China.

The company had 158 net cages in Brunei's coastal waters in 2021, varying in sizes up to 6,000 cubic meters of water – of which the company has 24, made from high density polyethylene.
 

- SeafoodSource