The farming of Tilapia fishes is a significant practice of animal agriculture in Africa, having grown into one of the continent’s fastest animal exploitation industries.
Tilapia, an aquatic animal native to Africa, is farmed in more than 30 countries, with some nations turning it into a major commercial venture. Although this type of fish is hardly consumed in Europe, Asia and America, it is very common in African dishes. Unfortunately, as has happened with so many other aquatic animals, industrialised aquaculture has now taken hold of this species.
Like in the case of factory-farmed cows, chickens or pigs, fish farming is a type of factory farming in which animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered for profit in big quantities in factory-style operations. In aquaculture, several species of what people commonly describe as fish (although scientifically speaking, there is no such thing as the Class fishes, but they are classified into six Classes instead) are the main victims (together with crustaceans). The industrialised farming of fishes on a large scale began with salmons. Salmon farming happens in ocean cages or land-based tanks close to the shore in countries with cold waters, and started as an experimental activity in the 1960s, but became a big industry in Norway in the 1980s and in Chile in the 1990s. Today, more than 2 million tonnes of the flesh of captive salmons are produced every year, accounting for about 70% of all salmons eaten by people. It did not take that long for other countries to start farming other fishes in increasingly industrialised factory farms, and in Africa, tilapias became the main target as they had already been farmed for millennia.
Africa’s total aquaculture production of tilapia’s flesh, as of 2017, was approximately 1.2 million metric tonnes, with Egypt responsible for about 940,000 metric tonnes (nearly 80%) and the rest of Africa producing around 237,000 metric tonnes. The remaining production is scattered among more than 30 countries, with Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Comoros among the most active in tilapia exploitation.
Growth in sub-Saharan Africa’s tilapia farming sector is notably fast, with projected rates in Zambia, Ghana, and Kenya reaching high numbers. Kenya alone is expected to jump from 20,000 tonnes in 2018 to over 90,000 tonnes in 2026, should trends persist. Demand for farmed tilapia fishes is largely internal, as African countries largely produce it for local consumption, supporting subsistence and small- to medium-scale commercial operators, with only a minor fraction destined for export markets. According to Gatsby Africa, the industry tripled in size in East Africa between 2017 and 2021.
Who are the Tilapias?
Fishes known as Tilapias (people use the zero inflexion plural Tilapia, but as we use veganised language, we use Tilapias) are freshwater fishes belonging to the family Cichlidae, native to African lakes, rivers, and streams. The common name Tilapia refers not to a single species but to a group of cichlids. Within this group, three main genera are most recognised: Oreochromis, which includes the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), one of the most widely farmed species; Sarotherodon, characterised by mouthbrooding behaviour; and Tilapia, less common in aquaculture but still significant in the wild.
Tilapia species are deep-bodied, laterally compressed, and covered in cycloid scales. They typically range from 20 to 30 cm in length, though some species can reach over 50 cm. Wild tilapias often show grey or silver tones with vertical stripes, while farmed varieties can show reddish or golden hues. They have a terminal mouth with small teeth suited for scraping algae and detritus, long dorsal fins, and rounded caudal fins, often with distinctive banding patterns.
Originally confined to African rivers, lakes, and coastal regions, tilapia have been introduced to nearly every continent except Antarctica. They thrive in warm freshwater systems such as rivers, reservoirs, and ponds. Some species can also tolerate brackish water.
These social aquatic animals exhibit strong schooling behaviours and form intricate social hierarchies. Males construct circular nests in shallow water, fiercely defending their territories through non-contact displays and, if necessary, aggressive physical confrontations. Females, meanwhile, move between nests selecting mates. Diet-wise, tilapia tend to be mainly herbivorous but display omnivorous tendencies, feeding on phytoplankton, algae, aquatic plants, and small invertebrates. They are known for breeding rapidly in great numbers (a biological feature that has led to their farming). Many species practice mouthbrooding, where the female (or sometimes the male) incubates eggs and fry in the mouth for protection.
Farming Tilapias
Tilapia farming has existed in Egyptian cultures for many years. One of the earliest known depictions of tilapia farming appears in a bas-relief inside an Egyptian tomb approximately 4,000 years old, where the Nile tilapia was so valued that it even had its own hieroglyph symbolising rebirth and fertility. Ancient Egyptians revered tilapia as a significant source of sustenance, farming them in closed ponds along the Nile River. The fish was also important to other ancient peoples in Africa and the Levant, and Aristotle is believed to have named the species Tilapia niloticus around 300 BCE. Though tilapia farming grew slowly for centuries, it expanded rapidly in the mid-20th century, with modern aquaculture techniques emerging in the 1980s to meet growing global demand, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
Tilapia farming is now widespread throughout Africa, particularly in Eastern, Western, and Southern regions. While Egypt dominates production, the practice is expanding rapidly in other nations. Within these countries, methods include pond systems, cages in lakes and rivers, and intensive recirculation setups, often situated around major lakes such as Lake Victoria, Lake Volta, and Lake Kariba. The process, prioritising yield and efficiency, disregards the welfare and autonomy of tilapias.
Tilapias are now most commonly farmed in net cages, where the animals are cramped together, not only causing them more distress but also increasing the chances of getting ill. According to a study published in Nature Food in 2022, the number of cages used in Tilapia farming grew from nine in 2006 to more than 20,000 in 2019. Genetic manipulation via selective breeding is also being established, for instance, in seven southern African countries, to favour productivity by selecting for fast-growing individuals.
Despite being promoted as a food security solution by many industry voices, tilapia farming in Africa represents the mass commodification and systematic exploitation of sentient aquatic beings, whose complex social lives and natural behaviours are eradicated in favour of human consumption. Efforts to genetically “improve” these beings, scale up production, and engineer convenient supply chains all reinforce anthropocentric dominion, perpetuating the narrative that nonhuman animals are mere resources.
Unfortunately, Tilapia farming is a big thing in Africa.
