The rise and rise of the aquatic chicken

If chickens are ideal for factory farming, then is there a fish ideal for factory fishing?

Yes. It’s tilapia. The freshwater fish is cheap to feed and grows quickly, making it a favourite among aquaculturists, or fish farmers.

Tilapia’s neutral taste also makes it more palatable for consumers than many other seafood options.

“What chicken has been for the poultry industry, tilapia can be for aquaculture,” says a new report from Rabobank, the Dutch-based bank specializing in food and agriculture financing.

The report, “The Rise of Aquatic Chicken” notes that tilapia production worldwide hit 4.6 million tonnes in 2012, up from just 100,000 tonnes in 1980.

Production could double to nine million tonnes in 10 years.

China is the world’s largest producer of tilapia but in an article in Seafood Source, Rabobank predicts Latin America could soon become a major producer of the aquatic chicken.

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