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Grupo de Juan David Moreno

Tilapia: A Nutritious, Environmentally Friendly Fish
21 December 2015

Often dubbed the aquatic chicken, farmed tilapia is now a staple in

many parts of the world. A healthy source of protein, micronutrients
and essential fatty acids, tilapia is now the fourth most consumed fish
in the US and it is farmed extensively in China, Egypt, Philippines,
Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil among many other countries, writes
the WorldFish Center.
Fast-growing and hardy, tilapia is environment friendly and easy to grow for
both small- and large-scale farmers. It is affordable and helps resourcepoor consumers meet their nutritional requirements, especially in
developing countries.
Here are some interesting facts about tilapia:
Tilapia is the second-most farm-raised fish in the world after
carp.

Algae or other plant-based fish food can be used for tilapia

farming, making it a sustainable alternative to fragile wild fish stocks
and farmed fish that require animal protein based feed.
Tilapia farming on a mostly vegetarian diet also reduces the
cost of farming for aquaculture producers.

 Tilapia quickly adapts to changing environments including fresh

or brackish water, enabling farmers to produce them in different
farming systems.
When steamed, grilled or poached tilapia is a good source of
protein, nutrients and essential fatty acids.
Tilapia has a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids than other
meats including chicken, pork and beef.
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain function as well as
growth and development.
Wild tilapia has a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids than
farmed tilapia.
Farmed tilapias omega-3 profile can be be increased through
feed supplements including flaxseed, chia and perilla seeds.
Tilapia contains essential omega-6 fatty acids, and is rich in
vitamins D, B12 and B6. Vitamin B12 is crucial for nervous system
function, B6 helps the body to metabolize fats and proteins while
vitamin D is important for immunity.
Fish has a lower carbon footprint than red meat. Tilapia shows
lower emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus per kilogram protein
produced compared to chicken, beef and pork.
Tilapia is a hardy fish and does not require the use of antibiotics
for growth.
WorldFish developed the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia
(GIFT) strain, which thrives in a wide range of environments.

 The GIFT strain grows 100% faster than the fish used at the
beginning of the breeding program.
In Egypt, the Abbassa strain of Nile tilapia, developed by
WorldFish, grows 28% faster than the most common commercial
strain
- See more at: http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/2152/tilapia-a-nutritiousenvironmentally-friendly-fish/#sthash.GQI7NWKR.dpuf