World Aquaculture December 2020

60 DECEMBER 2020 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S.ORG Mature male (left) and female (right) tilapia, indicating sexual differences in the structure of genital papillae (Photo: J.A. Ragaza). main producers, distributors and consumers of tilapia due to their population size and geographical locations. China alone produces 3.2 million t of tilapia products, which is approximately one-third of global tilapia production (Prabu et al . 2019) In the Philippines, most fish and fish products come from domestic aquaculture, which contributes significantly to food security, livelihoods, income and research activities. Aquaculture serves as a source of income for many Filipinos. Tilapia is the second most important farmed fish in the country after milkfish. Mozambique tilapia O. mossambicus was introduced in 1950, followed by the introduction of Nile tilapia in 1972 (Guerrero 2019). Nile tilapia garnered market success and interest from consumers and farmers. In the late 1990s, the Philippines ranked second in Asia next to China, accounting for 12 percent of global tilapia production (Dey et al . 2000b). Around 300,000 t of tilapia was produced in 2015, valued at US$ 470 million (BFAR 2016). Tilapia contributed around 40 percent of the total farmed fish production in the Philippines in 2015 (FAO 2017). Tilapia Aquaculture Fish is a key component of human nutrition and food security, especially in developing countries. As the world population rises, the demand for fish and fish products also increases. To meet this need, aquaculture is considered the most viable solution. It is the fastest-growing food production industry worldwide and has been steadily increasing over the years (Garlock et al . 2020, Prabu et al . 2019). Globally, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus is one of the most important farmed fishes for human consumption and aquaculture. It is the most important global whitefish commodity (Gjoen 2001). In 2017, tilapia ranked third after grass carp and silver carp at 4.13 million t of global production, with a total value of US$ 7.61 billion (Tacon 2019). Nearly 40 percent of farmed fish production are tilapias and the fish plays a pivotal role in meeting global fish demand (Prabu et al . 2019). Tilapia production is also seen as a solution for poverty, malnutrition and food scarcity, especially in Africa (Bene and Heck 2005). Asian countries are the Genetic Development of Nile Tilapia Strains in the Philippines for Sustainable and Efficient Fish Farming Tzodoq Obrero Magbanua and Janice Alano Ragaza