Top Bighead Carp Fishing Countries

The bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a large, fast-growing freshwater fish native to East Asia, recognized for its silvery body and disproportionately large head. Primarily filter feeders, bighead carp consume plankton, making them valuable for aquaculture due to their rapid growth and efficient feed conversion. China dominates the global bighead carp industry, both in terms of wild capture and especially aquaculture production, accounting for the vast majority of the world’s harvest. Other significant producers include countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, where the species is farmed or caught in rivers and lakes for local consumption. In recent decades, bighead carp have also been introduced to Eastern Europe and the United States, though in the U.S., they are considered invasive and are not commercially harvested on a large scale. The fishing and farming of bighead carp support local economies and food security in these top-producing countries, with China leading the way as the primary driver of global production.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.