Tilapia are among the most widely farmed fish globally. Moving beyond minimum welfare standards toward positive welfare requires understanding what good welfare looks like for these resilient fish.
Tilapia welfare research has begun shifting from merely avoiding negative states toward identifying and promoting positive welfare indicators. Fish in good welfare show active exploration, normal schooling behavior, intact fins, and bright coloration. Environmental enrichment including structured cover, variable water depth, and feeding enrichment increases behavioral diversity in farmed tilapia. Stocking density management is the single most impactful welfare intervention, with overstocking causing measurable increases in aggression, injury, and stress hormones. Certification programs increasingly include behavioral welfare assessments rather than relying solely on water quality parameters.