The welfare of farmed Nile tilapia: a review

Wasseem Emam ^1,2,3* Helen Lambert ⁴ Culum Brown ⁵

• ¹ Ethical Seafood Research Ltd, Glasgow, United Kingdom
• ² Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
• ³ Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
• ⁴ Animal Welfare Consultancy, Kingsteignton, United Kingdom
• ⁵ School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Nile tilapia are, by absolute number of individuals, the most farmed species of fish today, yet we know little about how common husbandry practices impact their welfare. Despite their global importance, there is a notable lack of detailed, species-specific welfare guidelines for tilapia farming. This gap reflects the scarcity of research-based recommendations on appropriate breeding conditions, environmental parameters, and handling methods that fully consider the biology and behavioural ecology of Nile tilapia. This review explores key dimensions of Nile tilapia biology and the implications of commercial aquaculture practices on their welfare. Topics covered include common grow-out housing systems, water quality, stocking density, environmental enrichment, feeding practices, handling, transportation, and slaughter. The paper underscores the importance of developing species-specific welfare parameters and management practices to meet the welfare needs of these animals. Specifically, it describes the most common grow-out housing systems and how parametersinherent to those systems, such as stocking density and environmental enrichment, impact Nile tilapia welfare. The review singles out capture and slaughter processes as particularly detrimental to tilapia welfare and offers insight into how evidence-based approaches can enhance the welfare of Nile tilapia in commercial farming operations.