Tilapia

Oreochromis niloticus niloticus

2: Best Choice How we work out the ratings

What to check for

Location

All areas

Production method

All applicable methods

Certification

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

Rating summary

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farmed tilapia are a Good Choice. Farms meeting the ASC standard need to comply with a wide range of criteria for environmentally responsible aquaculture. Farms must ensure feed sources are disclosed and don’t risk vulnerable species. Environmental impacts are limited through controlled use of chemicals including antibiotics, measures to limit escapes from farms, monitoring of nutrient and effluent build up around farms and recent prohibition of conversion of wetlands to aquaculture. There are also measures to manage fish health and welfare on farms. There are, however, some concerns that the certification criteria and management do not minimize the risk of parasites to wild species or consider the cumulative impacts of farms more widely.This rating is based on full compliance with certification requirements. Commercial buyers should therefore ensure that full compliance has been achieved in order for this rating to be applicable.Rating last updated December 2024.

How we worked out this Rating

Tilapia feed ingredients certified to the ASC standard can not be assured to be responsibly sourced at this stage, but is being addressed in a feed mill standard in October 2025. Tilapia are a net protein producer. Tilapia are omnivorous; low amounts of fish oil are used in tilapia farming, and fishmeal forms only a small part of their normal feed (reportedly between 1 and 6%). Key requirements by the ASC Standard are: fishmeal and fish oil must not be sourced from threatened or endangered species according to the IUCN Red List or listed on the CITES species list; major feed companies must disclose sourcing information annually; and suppliers must be working to identify and address sustainability issues in fishmeal and fish oil. There are no specific requirements relating to soy or palm products.

Environmental impacts of ASC tilapia farms are limited through controlled use of chemicals including antibiotics, measures to limit escapes from farms, monitoring of nutrient and effluent build-up around farms and prohibition of conversion of wetlands to aquaculture.There are a number of potential environmental impacts of tilapia farming. The ASC Tilapia standard addresses overuse of antibiotics through: prohibition of antibiotics critical to human health, limits on the use of other antibiotics, and a site-specific fish health plan. Escapes are reduced or mitigated by the following: tilapia may only be farmed in areas where they were already established prior to 2008, must be genetically male or sterile hybrids (to minimise the escape of fry), and must not be genetically modified (to limit their ability to outcompete native species or populations). There is a suite of farm-specific measures (such as mesh nets) to reduce the likelihood of escapes.Another area of concern is the impact of the farm on the local aquatic system, which is addressed in the Standard through reducing the likelihood of eutrophication (e.g. limits on phosphorous use). The use of banned chemicals is prohibited.  However, there is limited information about wider ecosystem impacts of ASC tilapia farms.Conversion of wetland to aquaculture after 1999 is prohibited, as is the lethal control of predators. The standard does not address the risk of parasite transfer.

The ASC standard means that regulations and management are well considered for certified tilapia farms.Farms are certified through an independent audit process which addresses almost all of the key management criteria. The main areas of weakness are the absence of criteria for minimizing transfer of parasites to wild species, the limited assessment of local habitat impacts and a lack of consideration of cumulative impacts of farms more widely.

References

ASC. Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Available at https://www.asc-aqua.org [Accessed on 18.08.2024].

ASC, 2009. Aquaculture Stewardship Council News: Tilapia standards finalised world’s first. Published on 17.12.2009. Available at https://www.asc-aqua.org/news/latest-news/tilapia-standards-finalised-worlds-first/ [Accessed on 07.06.2019].

ASC, 2016. Interim solution on Marine Raw Material Requirements in the ASC Farm Standards. Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Available at https://www.asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ASC-Feed-Interim-solution-Marine-Ingredients_FINAL_20161213.pdf [Accessed on 21.05.2019].

ASC, 2016. Interim Feed Solution. Available at https://www.asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ASC-Feed-Interim-solution-Marine-Ingredients_FINAL_20161213.pdf [Accessed on 18.08.2024].

ASC, 2019. ASC Tilapia Standard Version 1.2. Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Available at https://www.asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ASC-Tilapia-Standard_v1.2_Final.pdf [Accessed on 18.08.2024].

ASC, 2021. Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Regal Springs - Lake Toba Farm, Surveillance 2 Audit Report – Final. Published on September 15, 2021. Available at: https://myasc.asc-aqua.org/netapp/FileHandler.ashx?id=15945EAD-62E3-4328-BADF-C290A2463B9B [Accessed on 29.3.2022], using search facility available at: https://www.asc-aqua.org/find-a-farm/ASC00732/

ASC, 2023. ASC Feed Standard Version 1.01. Jan 2023. Available at https://asc-aqua.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ASC-Feed-Standard_v1.01.pdf [Accessed on 18.08.2024].

ASC, Recertification, 2021. ASC Tilapia Standard AUDIT REPORT V.3.6. PT. Aquafarm Nusantara, Regal Springs - Lake Toba Farm. Published on January 21, 2021. Available at: https://myasc.asc-aqua.org/netapp/FileHandler.ashx?id=C67671C1-2A1C-4F6A-9DD2-DABF6EFE47D5 [Accessed on 29.3.2022], using search facility available at: https://www.asc-aqua.org/find-a-farm/ASC00732/

ASC, 2022. Aquaculture Stewardship Council, PT Suri Tani Pemuka - Tambun Raya Farm. Surveillance 1 Audit Report – Final. Available at: https://myasc.asc-aqua.org/netapp/FileHandler.ashx?id=2D1BD7A7-554F-44FC-902C-5FA030665B99 [Accessed on 29.3.2022], using search facility available at: https://www.asc-aqua.org/find-a-farm/ASC00656/

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FAO, 2019. Aquaculture Feed and Fertilizer Resources Information System: Nile tilapia - Feed formulation. Available at http://www.fao.org/fishery/affris/species-profiles/nile-tilapia/feed-formulation/en [Accessed on 10.05.2019].

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Henriksson, P.J.G., Banks, L.K., Suri, S.K., Pratiwi, T.Y., Fatan, N.A., Troell, M., 2019. Indonesian aquaculture futures—identifying interventions for reducing environmental impacts. Environ. Res. Lett. 14 124062

HNTSA, 2019. Hainan Tilapia Sustainability Alliance. Available at: http://www.hntsa.org [Accessed on 20.05.2019].

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Kang, B., Huang, X., Li, J., Liu, M., Guo, L. and Han, C., 2017. Inland Fisheries in China: Past, Present, and Future. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture. 25:4, pp. 270-285. 10.1080/23308249.2017.1285863.

Li, Y and Cai, S., 2011. Identification and Pathogenicity of Aeromonas sobria on Tail-rot Disease in Juvenile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Current Microbiology. 62: 2, pp 623–627.

Li, K., Liu, L., Clausen, J. H., Lu, M. and Dalsgaard, A., 2016. Management measures to control diseases reported by tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) and whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farmers in Guangdong, China. Aquaculture. 457, 20: pp. 91-99. 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2016.02.008.

Liping, L., Zongfeng, Z., Wenbo, Z., Murray, F. and Little, D., 2012. Tilapia aquaculture in China. Global Aquaculture Alliance. Available at https://www.aquaculturealliance.org/advocate/tilapia-aquaculture-in-china/ [Accessed on 18.08.2024].

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