Tilapia is the most important farmed fish in tropical regions, with welfare challenges in intensive systems including oxygen depletion, crowding stress, and pre-slaughter practices.
Intensive tilapia production in many tropical countries operates with minimal welfare oversight. Extreme crowding in cage and pond systems creates chronic stress, injury from aggression, and exposure to poor water quality. Pre-slaughter practices involving removal from water and slow asphyxiation cause prolonged conscious distress. As one of the most consumed farmed fish globally, improving tilapia welfare standards would benefit enormous numbers of sentient animals.