Tilapia is the fourth most farmed fish globally, with intensive production systems raising significant welfare concerns that are beginning to be addressed by emerging welfare standards.
Tilapia welfare is often deprioritised because they are considered more tolerant of poor conditions than other species - but tolerance does not mean absence of suffering. At extreme densities, tilapia experience chronic stress, aggression and injury. Water quality problems cause physiological stress even in tolerant species. Hormonal sex reversal to produce male monocultures raises welfare questions about the process and about the welfare implications of intensive single-sex production systems. The development of species-specific welfare standards for tilapia is progress - but standards must be matched by enforcement and consumer awareness for market incentives to drive improvement.