Tilapia is among the most widely farmed fish globally, with intensive production systems raising welfare questions about stocking density, water quality and slaughter methods.
Tilapia welfare receives significantly less research attention than salmon and trout despite its global production scale. High stocking densities cause chronic social stress and aggression. Water quality management is critical for welfare in intensive systems. Improving welfare standards in tilapia aquaculture requires comparable investment in research and certification to that applied to Atlantic salmon.