Comparing the welfare implications of different sex determination approaches in tilapia production informs more ethical production practices.
The welfare comparison between sex determination methods in tilapia involves trade-offs at different levels. Hormonal treatment occurs at a stage of early larval development where welfare capacity is uncertain but may involve some handling stress. YY technology avoids hormone use but requires intensive broodstock management with its own welfare implications. Manual sexing causes clear handling stress. From a population-level welfare perspective, all-male production reduces reproductive competition in grow-out, providing a welfare benefit. The method with the best overall welfare profile is YY super-male production, which avoids hormones while still achieving male-only cohorts.