Barramundi producer sees biological improvements in H1

The Barramundi Group, which is headquartered in Singapore but raises most of its fish in Brunei, has reported a pre-tax operating loss of SIN $1.9m (£1.10m) in H1 compared with SIN $3.9m (£2.26m) for H1 2025. The improvement is mainly linked to reduced biological write-downs and fewer mortalities this year.

Revenue for the first six months was SIN $6.45m (£3.74m) compared with SIN $7.16m (£4.16) for the same period last year.

The company said: “The first half of 2026 saw encouraging improvements in biological performance and operating discipline across the Group’s Brunei aquaculture operations. However, management remains cautious on the outlook for marine grow-out, where endemic biological challenges — in particular LCHV [Lates calcarifer herpesvirus] — continue to constrain optimal survival and production performance.”

Fish mortality expense declined by 75% year-on-year to SGD0.28 million, while mortality biomass reduced from approximately 59.7 tonnes in 1H2025 to 20.6 tonnes in 1H2026.

The company said: “Improvements in husbandry practices, including more frequent net cleaning and strengthened parasite-control protocols, have contributed to better survival performance. Nevertheless, LCHV remains an important limiting factor in achieving targeted survival rates in the marine environment, and the Group continues to pursue both biological and technological solutions to this challenge.”

The group continued to develop its marine site at Pelong Rocks, Brunei, with the stocking of a fourth pen, and it has also started construction of a land-based broodstock quarantine facility to create a protected environment for broodstock.

A new recirculating aquaculture facility at Mengsalut, Brunei, is also being designed.

The H1 report concludes: “The Group remains encouraged by the reduction in biological losses and improvements in farm operating practices achieved during the first half of 2026.

“At the same time, management recognises that biological performance in the marine environment remains variable and that LCHV continues to represent a material constraint to consistently achieving targeted survival and production outcomes.

“The Group will therefore continue to pursue a multi-pronged strategy: improving husbandry and biosecurity within its existing marine operations; progressing vaccine and animal-health solutions through UVAXX and its research partners; strengthening broodstock and juvenile-production capabilities; rebuilding commercial channels; and advancing the Mengsalut land-based RAS development as the Group’s longer-term platform for more predictable and scalable production.”