Imports of pangasius into the Chinese market climbed steeply in April, as imports of US groundfish dropped by a third year-on-year, just one example of how the coronavirus has upended the traditional flow of whitefish, Beyhan de Jong, senior seafood specialist at Rabobank said during last week's IntraFish Seafood Leadership Webinar.

In April China imported around 45,000 metric tons of pangasius, more than tripling the figure from the same month in 2019.

"Of course this is not only the impact of the coronavirus but is reflected by growing demand for whitefish, particularly pangasius from Vietnam," de Jong said.