Tilapia are the second most farmed fish globally, produced predominantly in Asia and Africa with minimal welfare oversight. Their welfare needs have received far less attention than salmon or trout despite their enormous numbers.
Tilapia farming operates with minimal welfare regulation in most producing countries. The species' tolerance of adverse water conditions has been misinterpreted as an absence of welfare needs - tilapia can survive in poor water but they do not thrive without adequate oxygen, space and social stability. Dominance hierarchies in crowded tanks cause chronic stress for subordinate individuals. Hormone treatment for sex reversal raises concerns about the welfare of embryonic fish during the treatment process. Harvest by net seine from crowded ponds involves air exposure, physical trauma and slow death by asphyxiation. The scale of tilapia production - billions of individuals annually - makes addressing welfare deficits in this sector potentially one of the highest-impact areas for aquatic animal welfare work.