TRACK B

BEST AQUACULTURE
PRACTICES:
NILE TILAPIA FARMING
topics

Lecture 4: Water Quality Management and

Lecture 1: Nile Tilapia Farming in the Disease Prevention
Philippines and in Global Setting

Lecture 3: Feeding Management

Lecture 2: Pond Preparation, Stocking and Lecture 5: Harvesting and Marketing

Choice of Species
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Nile Tilapia Farming
in the Philippines and in Global
Setting
Lorenz J. Fajardo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
College of Fisheries
Central Luzon State University
Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija
Objectives
❖ describe the history of Nile tilapia farming in the Philippines

❖ distinguish the different genetically improved Nile tilapia strains in the Philippines

❖ recognize tilapia as major Philippine aquaculture species

❖ explain the status of Nile tilapia production in global setting

❖ discuss potential research, development and extension project related to Nile tilapia farming

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History of nile tilapia farming in the philippines
(development of breeding technologies)
1950
late 1970s and
Introduction of early 1980s
Mozambique Commercial
tilapia production of Nile
Oreochromis mossambicus tilapia

Oreochromis niloticus
1972 1988
DA-BFAR imported ICLARM w/ BFAR,
FAO, 2021; Toledo et al., 2008; Nile tilapia ‘plapla’ FAC-CLSU, AKVAFORSK
Eguia et al., 2020; Fishbase.org
(GIFT Project); British
ODA (GMIT Project)
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Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
3rd largest
✔ grows fast global
producer
✔ hardy
✔ well adapted for farming
in warm tropical countries
✔ easily breeds in captivity
✔ little input
✔ technology can be simple

Total tilapia aquaculture production (volume = ‘000 mt) in the

Philippines, 1950–2004

Romana-Eguia, Eguia and Pakingking, 2020; Toledo et al., 2008

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Genetically Improved nile tilapia strains in the
philippines Strain

Freshwater Aquaculture Center Selected Tilapia

Source Agency

Freshwater Aquaculture Center, Central Luzon State University (FAC-CLSU), Science City
(FaST) of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia - Malaysia strain (GIFT- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR in selected regions)
Malaysia)

Genetically Male Tilapia or YY Supermale Tilapia (GMT) FAC-CLSU, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

Improved EXCEL tilapia BFAR-National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center (BFAR-NFFTC), Science City of
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; BFAR Regions Registered Hatcheries

Improved Brackishwater Enhanced Selected Tilapia (i-BEST) BFAR-NFFTC, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; BFAR Regions Registered Hatcheries

Cold tolerant tilapia strain BFAR-NFFTC, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; BFAR-Cordillera Administrative Region

Molobicus BFAR National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (BFAR-NIFTDC),

Dagupan City, Pangasinan; BFAR Region IV-B
Registered Hatcheries

GenoMar Supreme Tilapia (GST) GenoMar Philippines Incorporated, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
Romana-Eguia, Eguia and Pakingking, 2020; Danting, 2021
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Aquaculture as a Fishery sector
Volume of Production (in ‘000 mt)

Aquaculture’s contribution to 2020

Phil. fisheries production:
53% (in volume), 42% (in value)
PSA, 2021; BFAR, 2020; Fishbase.org

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Tilapia: major species produced in PHILIPPINE
aquaculture

PSA 2020; Danting, 2021

9
Tilapia aquaculture production by culture unit
and environment
Fishpond
2019
Freshwater

157,009.76
2020
164,060.01
2019
Brackishwater

18,322.00
2020
18,512.91
2019
-
Marine
2020
-
Fish cage 85,360.84 64,111.18 143.55 122.16 - 2.56
Fish pen 18,456.80 17,020.74 3.58 48.75 1.69 0.19
Rice fish 3.66 3.69 - - - -
Small farm reservoir 83.96 83.13 - - - -
TOTAL 260,915.02 245,278.75 18,469.13 18,683.82 1.69 2.75

Tilapia production Tilapia production

by culture unit, 2020 by culture environment, 2020

BFAR, 2020; Danting, 2021

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Key regions in tilapia production
2019 2020

BFAR, 2020; Danting, 2021

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Key regions in tilapia production

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Nile Tilapia in global setting
Global Nile tilapia production 75.03%
Tilapia – most popularly cultured worldwide

✔ Nile tilapia - 1st among 10 major farmed

Volume of Production (in ‘000 t)

tilapia species in 2018 (individual farmed
production above 1,000 tonnes)

✔ 2nd most important farmed finfish species

group

✔ global trade: rapid growth trend (22.4 fold) of

exported tilapia products from 1997 to 2017
(766,438 tonnes in live weight ~1.66 billion US
dollars)
2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Miao and Wang, 2020; FAO, 2020

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Major producers of farmed tilapia in the world
(2018)
(individual production above 50,000 tonnes)
Tilapia – reported in 145 countries/regions
Volume of Production (in ‘000 t)

26.93%
✔ Asia as the dominant producer
20.27% ✔ China remained as the largest producer
17.43% ✔ Thailand and Phils. used to be among top 4 –
declined to 3.5% and 4.6% in 2018

5.72%
5.26% 4.59%
4.31% 3.51%

Miao and Wang, 2020

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Way forward
✔ Sustaining the growth of tilapia production
✔ Science-based, farm-verified technologies for tilapia seed production and culture

✔ Bringing benefits of tilapia farming to the rural community

✔ Enhancing the access of fish farmers to improved strains of tilapia, generated
technologies and financial resources; intensify extension activities/services
✔ Expansion of production in brackishwater, small water impoundments, communal bodies
of water

✔ Maintenance of genetic integrity and sustainable production of genetically

improved tilapia stocks

Toledo et al., 2008; Danting, 2021

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Way forward
✔ Strengthening local and international market networking

✔ Expanding research, development and extension initiatives

✔ Broodstock development of tilapia (climate resilient tilapia breeds)
✔ Biotechnological approach in breeding and detection of pathogen
✔ Low-cost feed formulation
✔ Environmental impact of tilapia aquaculture

Toledo et al., 2008; Danting, 2021

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References
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, 2020. Philippine Fisheries Profile 2019, https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/publication

Danting, M.J.C., 2021. Tilapia Sector Profile: Production, Governance and Health In the Philippines, Part 1: Industry Profile, Virtual Course, Design of an Active
Surveillance for Tilapia Lake Virus (TILV) Disease and Its Implementation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2021. History and general overview of Philippine aquaculture,
http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/naso_philippines/en

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020, Sustainability in Action. Rome.
http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9229en

Miao, W. and Wang, W., 2020. Trends of Aquaculture Production and Trade: Carp, Tilapia, and Shrimp Asian Fisheries Science 33.S1:1–10

Philippine Statistics Authority, 2021, Fisheries Situation Report, January – December 2020, Diliman, Quezon City, https://psa.gov.ph/content/fisheries-situationer-0

Romana-Eguia, M.R.R., Eguia, R.V. and Pakingking, R.V. Jr., 2020. Tilapia culture : the basics, Aquaculture extension manual no. 66, Aquaculture Dept.,
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines

Toledo, J.D., Acosta, B.O., Eguia, M.R.R., Eguia, R.V. and Israel, D.C., 2008. Sustainable Tilapia Farming: A Challenge to Rural Development, Fish for the People,
6 (1), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines

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Thank you
lorenzfajardo@clsu.edu.ph