Tilapia is among the most widely farmed fish globally, and intensive production systems raise significant welfare concerns around crowding, water quality, and handling.
High stocking densities in tilapia aquaculture create conditions where crowding stress, aggressive interactions, and poor water quality are common. Chronic exposure to elevated ammonia and reduced oxygen, even at sub-lethal levels, impairs immune function and growth while causing physiological distress. Handling during grading, transfer, and harvest involves out-of-water exposure that is acutely stressful. Slaughter practices vary widely in humaneness. As evidence for tilapia sentience grows, welfare standards for this species deserve greater attention from producers and certifiers.