Tilapia are the second most farmed fish globally, raised in diverse systems from intensive indoor facilities to small-scale tropical ponds. Understanding their welfare needs is important given the scale and rapid growth of tilapia production.
Tilapia welfare research lags behind that of salmon and trout, partly because they are often raised in developing countries with limited regulatory infrastructure. However, evidence shows tilapia experience stress and likely pain similarly to other teleost fish. Key welfare stressors in tilapia farming include high stocking density, water quality deterioration from high stocking in small ponds, aggressive interactions between males, and crowding during grading or harvest. The hormone treatment used to produce all-male populations raises specific welfare questions about chronic exposure effects. Welfare-positive tilapia farming requires appropriate density management, water quality monitoring, low-stress harvesting techniques, and species-appropriate slaughter methods.