Egypt is Africa's largest tilapia producer, with intensive pond and cage systems facing welfare challenges from stocking density, water quality, and disease management.
Nile tilapia welfare in Egyptian intensive systems is compromised by stocking densities that exceed the capacity of pond systems to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. Oxygen depletion causes acute respiratory distress and mass mortality events. Streptococcal infections cause neurological signs including whirling behaviour, blindness, and death over several days. Limited veterinary infrastructure means that disease is often managed reactively rather than preventively. Introducing basic welfare monitoring including dissolved oxygen measurement and disease surveillance would significantly reduce avoidable suffering in this major production system.