Tilapia is among the most farmed fish globally, produced in conditions that vary from extensive ponds to intensive recirculating systems with significant welfare implications.
Tilapia welfare receives less attention than salmon despite larger production volumes, partly because tilapia is produced primarily in developing countries with less welfare regulatory infrastructure. Welfare challenges include high stocking density aggression, poor water quality management causing gill damage and chronic stress, and the use of sex reversal hormones whose welfare effects are not fully understood. The extremely wide tolerance of tilapia for environmental conditions has led to assumptions about their resilience that may mask significant welfare compromise. As tilapia farming expands globally, developing welfare standards appropriate to the production context is increasingly important.