Tilapia certification schemes have expanded significantly but continue to have gaps in welfare-specific requirements, particularly around stocking density, stunning, and pain management.
Tilapia certification represents an evolving landscape where environmental sustainability standards have outpaced welfare-specific requirements. The absence of mandatory pre-slaughter stunning requirements in most schemes means that certified tilapia may still be killed by methods that cause unnecessary pain. Stocking density limits where they exist are often set based on production performance data rather than welfare evidence. The gap between the welfare standards applied to certified tilapia and those applied to certified terrestrial farmed animals is substantial. Leading certification bodies are aware of these gaps and are developing updates, but the pace of improvement is slower than welfare evidence would support.