Tilapia is among the most widely farmed fish globally, and welfare science for this species is advancing but implementation of welfare improvements lags behind the scale of production.
Tilapia welfare science has benefited from the species' suitability for research (hardy, adaptable, and able to be maintained in varied conditions), but industry implementation of welfare improvements lags research. Key welfare concerns are stocking density management, water quality maintenance, and humane slaughter. Tilapia's relative hardiness compared to salmon or trout has sometimes led to the assumption that welfare requirements are minimal, but evidence indicates meaningful welfare responses to crowding, water quality degradation, and handling stress. Development and adoption of tilapia-specific welfare standards is an important gap in aquaculture welfare governance.