50 SEPTEMBER 2017 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG Tilapia seine-harvested from outdoor ponds. Tilapia Introductions to India The first tilapia introduced to India was the Mozambique tilapia in 1952 (Sugunan 1995). Since the original introduction, populations of Tilapia zilli (1986), O. urolepis (date unknown), O. niloticus (1987) and red hybrid tilapia (date unknown) have been introduced (Singh and Lakra 2011, Lakra et al. 2008, Keshavanath et al. 2004). Currently, the government of India has authorized importations of only O. niloticus and red hybrids. The major intent of these introductions was to develop a tilapia farming industry, although some were stocked for mosquito control, aquatic vegetation control and as a reservoir fishery. However, none of these early introductions led to significant production or commercial success. The Indian government recognizes tilapia farming to be a key sector in aquaculture, especially considering the success of other tilapia industries in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Farmers looking at neighboring nations were convinced that improved broodstock was the missing link and began to surreptitiously import new animals. Several of India’s neighbors are major producers of tilapia, so importation was relatively simple. China is the world’s biggest producer, with annual production of 1.8 million t, and Bangladesh produced 300,000 t of tilapia in 2016. Nepal and Myanmar are also significant producers. In 2009, the government realized that numerous undocumented shipments of tilapia were entering the country and that many farmers were beginning to work with the fish without any quarantine, biosecurity, organization or planning. The Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) organized a conference to address this issue and invited an international panel of experts to discuss the situation and provide recommendations about how tilapia aquaculture should be organized and regulated. Subsequently the government developed guidelines for importation, biosecurity, quarantine and licensing. This guidance has allowed the tilapia industry to rapidly expand in an organized fashion. Production has now grown to 18,000 t per year (Fig. 2). Culture Systems Tilapia farming is clustered in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala states. The most common production systems are ponds, with lesser amounts grown in cages, raceways and tanks. For cage culture, state departments of fisheries have leasing and licensing procedures allowing cage culture in public waters. At this point, monoculture of tilapia is relatively rare. Tilapia have been incorporated into polyculture with shrimp, providing an additional cash crop and reducing the incidence and severity of viral and bacterial diseases in shrimp. In pond culture, farmers have introduced tilapia as an additional polyculture species into traditional carp ponds. Polyculture with carps has been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu states. Shrimp and carp polyculture provides 3-5 percent of national tilapia production. Tilapia are also used in aquaponics systems, but these contribute less than 1 percent of national production. Most farmed tilapia are Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, although there are some O. mossambicus and red tilapia hybrids Market-size Nile tilapia. FIGURE 1. World tilapia production in 2016. India is a minor producer. In 2009, the government realized that numerous undocumented shipments of tilapia were entering the country and that many farmers were beginning to work with the fish without any quarantine, biosecurity, organization or planning. Subsequently the government developed guidelines for importation, biosecurity, quarantine and licensing. This guidance has allowed the tilapia industry to rapidly expand in an organized fashion.
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