Commodities

Tilapia

  • Name of species:
    Tilapia.
  • Primary potential:
    Aquaculture, stock enhancement (but requires approval for wild release of exotics (e.g. as in Papau New Guinea).
  • Attributes for aquaculture/stock enhancement :

    · Hardy, easy to breed and high survival

    · Fast growing, multiple harvests per year

    · Ease of production (feeding regime, management approach)

    · Disease resistant

    · Able to be transported live

    · Improved strains are available

    · Moderate to high economic value

    · Potential for export

  • Culture methods :

    Seed
    · Hatchery production required to maintain stock quality

    · Simple low tech hatchery design

     

    Grow-out
    · Amenable to multiple production systems, from small subsistence pond production to semi-intensive, commercial and high intensive systems (e.g. raceway, recirculation systems)

  • Current production status :
    · Fiji Islands has commercial and subsistence production which is rapidly expanding

    · Other Pacific Islands have attempted to introduce tilapia for aquaculture but with limited success to date. This is probably due to a lack of staff trained in tilapia culture practices and technologies and limited resource availability

  • Marketing :

    · Domestic market potential in Fiji is high and expanding rapidly. There is potential for export markets. Trial shipments have been made to the USA and Australia from Fiji

    · Tilapia is sold either whole or as fillets, live or frozen for the domestic market, frozen for the international market

    · There is limited opportunity for value adding (perhaps smoking)

  • Comparative advantages/disadvantages (risks) of producing the species in the Pacific:

    Advantages

    · Easy species to culture and very hardy

    · Production systems are relatively cheap

    · Short culture cycle and amenable to low input systems

    · Acceptable as a food fish in most locations

    · On large islands, it can be an important protein source in inland regions

    · Improved strains are available

    · Feed technology is advanced

    · Women are commonly involved in production systems (e.g. Fiji)

    · Primarily freshwater but there is potential for brackish water culture

    · Colour variants are available (e.g. Red strains)

    · Potential for integrated farming and polyculture

    Advantages
    · Easy species to culture and very hardy

    · Production systems are relatively cheap

    · Short culture cycle and amenable to low input systems

    · Acceptable as a food fish in most locations

    · On large islands, it can be an important protein source in inland regions

    · Improved strains are available

    · Feed technology is advanced

    · Women are commonly involved in production systems (e.g. Fiji)

    · Primarily freshwater but there is potential for brackish water culture

    · Colour variants are available (e.g. Red strains)

    · Potential for integrated farming and polyculture

     

    Disadvantages
    · Limited cold tolerance (culture requires 20°C)

    · Poor stock management may produce stunting

    · Potential for hybridisation among stocks, which can reduce productivity

    · Likely escape into natural river systems, and impact on native fish and other species

    · Limited cold tolerance (culture requires 20°C)

    · Poor stock management may produce stunting

    · Potential for hybridisation among stocks, which can reduce productivity

    · Likely escape into natural river systems, and impact on native fish and other species