Tilapia is among the most widely farmed fish globally, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. As production intensifies, welfare challenges related to crowding, water quality, and slaughter become increasingly important.
Tilapia are often regarded as particularly hardy and tolerant of poor conditions, leading to welfare standards lagging behind those for salmon and trout. However, evidence of their sentience and stress responses is clear. Overcrowded tanks produce elevated cortisol, suppressed immune function, and increased disease. Male aggression at high densities causes chronic wounding. Best-practice welfare in tilapia farming includes optimised stocking densities, sex-reversed monosex production to reduce aggression, water quality monitoring systems, and effective slaughter protocols such as electrical stunning prior to killing.