The US tilapia sector is uniquely diverse in its widespread geographic location, production type, and production scale in comparison to other food fish species. Raising tilapia provides a competitive option for small-scale production due to the species’ adaptability across aquaculture techniques. Small-scale production of tilapia can be found in many forms, including small ponds, indoor and outdoor recirculating aquaculture systems, and aquaponic systems. The extent of small-scale tilapia production currently existing in the US is difficult to track due to limitations on the reporting of relevant information and production data. According to USDA 2023 Census of Aquaculture, 20 businesses reported selling fingerlings or fry tilapia, 27 businesses sold stockers, and 5 businesses sold broodfish. Domestic hatcheries are an essential source of larval tilapia for small-scale aquaculture, but producers must navigate several challenges when acquiring fish due to information gaps, contact with hatchery resources, and poorly integrated digital business platforms.
This review aimed to identify and characterize online business platforms selling fry, fingerling, and/or stocker size tilapia to enhance the understanding of what resources are offered for small-scale tilapia production. The objectives were to find publicly accessible vendors and examine the online business platforms through an online search; extract and collect commercially valuable data; and characterize and report trends observed in online user interfaces.
Thirty-seven online US vendors selling juvenile or broodfish tilapia were found across fifteen states (Figure 1). There were four distinct tilapia species identified for sale (Figure 2). Blue Tilapia was the most widely available species. There were multiple variants of the different species as options for customers to purchase. Purchasing details, production techniques, and genetic traceability greatly varied across vendor platforms. This review summarizes the general status of online tilapia resources for the use of small-scale producers.