Tilapia AIP
Chinese Tilapia
Aquaculture Improvement Partnership
Species: Oreochromis spp. including: tilapia nilotica (O. niloticus), tilapia Mozambique (O. mossambicus), red tilapia (a group of tilapia hybrids with one collective common name)
AIP Region: Hainan Island, China. SFP conducted AIP scoping in three targeted tilapia-producing regions, starting with the AIP located on Hainan Island. See below for map of production regions
Sustainability Information:
NGOs generally rank Chinese tilapia poorly:
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (MBAq SeafoodWatch - Chinese tilapia) ranks farmed tilapia from China red (Avoid)
- Blue Ocean Institute (BOI Seafood Guide) ranks orange (farming methods typically have large environmental impact)
Date Launched: 2011
Background:
China is the world’s leading tilapia producer, with 1.2 million tonnes of production in 2009, or about half of global production. In only 10 years, tilapia exports from China have increased from only 100 thousand tonnes in 2000 to over 1 million tonnes in 2009. China has four provincial regions producing tilapia, of which Guangdong province represents more than 50 percent of the total production. The United States is the leading export market for Chinese tilapia representing approximately 60 percent of total exports.
Chinese tilapia production trend (Source: FAO 2010)
In the US, tilapia currently ranks fifth in popularity with consumers, with per capita consumption (edible weight) of 1.208 pounds (0.55 kg) in 2009. US imports of Chinese tilapia totaled 158 thousand tonnes imported in 2010, including 136 thousand tons of frozen fillets worth $518 million and 23 thousand tonnes of whole frozen tilapia worth $37 million. In 2010, China supplied approximately 74 percent of all tilapia (fresh and frozen) imported into the United States.
SFP Engagement in China to Date:
SFP involvement in China began at the end of 2007, when SFP advised key corporate partners on their tilapia procurement policy and sourcing, evaluating sources in Hainan (seven farms) and Beihai (two farms). SFP’s corporate partner engagement includes both major tilapia suppliers and key retail and foodservice buyers.
From 2008 to 2010, SFP conducted audits on 10 tilapia farms in six countries, comparing the three main international standards: GLOBALG.A.P, Global Agriculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (GAA/BAP), and the International Standard for Responsible Tilapia Aquaculture developed by the World Wildlife Fund (ASC/ISRTA). The objective of these audits was to identify similarities in criteria and areas where the standards differed. The benchmarking project included four tilapia farms in China. These farms represented both small- and commercial-scale production facilities utilizing two different production systems (pond and cages). Aside from identifying similarities and differences among criteria and requirements used by the three standards, this project also identified outstanding issues in the farms, which most producers were able to address as a result of the trial audit. To date, all four farms are now certified under one or more of the commercial aquaculture standards.
SFP is now widely acknowledged by stakeholders in this market (including aquaculture institutes, industry associations, and local Chinese governments) and is initially focusing on Hainan Island through a formal collaboration with the Hainan Institute of Aquaculture and the Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences for the initial scoping study. SFP initiated two tilapia research projects to assess the impact of tilapia farming on the external environment. The first project, started in April 2011, involves monitoring water quality on selected farms in Hainan province, and was completed by the Hainan Institute of Aquaculture. All the field sampling was accomplished in February 2012. The report is under revision and will soon be available to the public. The second project is an assessment of the water bodies surrounding an aquaculture farm that will be conducted by HRAES (Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences), the leading agency in Hainan, assessing environmental issues within the province.
SFP is also working with a producers’ group (a local tilapia association) in order to identify tilapia-farming issues in the southern part of China. SFP organized an orientation workshop for selected producers in Hainan on the three major tilapia standards, mentioned above, used in the comparison audits. Most of the participants at this orientation are currently involved in the tilapia research that SFP is implementing in collaboration with the Hainan Institute of Aquaculture. The objective of this meeting was to introduce the different available standards to tilapia producers in China, particularly to those that do not have enough capacity to access such information.
We worked closely with local tilapia associations (e.g., in cities such as Qiong Hai and Wenchang in Hainan province) to assess different tilapia standards that are available in the market. This activity serves as a followup from the orientation meeting to ensure broader understanding of the different standards. Furthermore, this activity will help several tilapia producers to “self-assess” their farm against the existing standards. In addition, SFP is now facilitating sharing information regarding tilapia broodstock management with broodstock producers in other regions in Southeast Asia where tilapia strains are being improved.
SFP has reached out and consulted key stakeholders in the Chinese tilapia industry to make an in-depth observation of the supply chain dynamics and to map the decision-making process. We have worked closely with the state-level industry association, China Aquatic Product Processing and Marketing Association (CAPPMA). SFP has been in discussion with CAPPMA and national research institutes on aquaculture to develop joint efforts in promoting the sustainability of the tilapia industry.
AIP Development
The goal of the AIP is to improve regional management practices of tilapia farms in the key production region(s) in China and to embed improvements in official regulations relating to disease transmission and impacts on the wider environment (e.g., through pollution, habitat destruction, feed ingredients sourcing, and wider biodiversity impacts). The improvements will also facilitate small-scale farmers to access information and increase awareness of better management practices in order to meet the requirements for certification.
In the short term, SFP’s objectives are to conduct research on water quality, escapes, and other environmental impacts, which will inform the AIP members and provide input to the local government aquaculture development plan for the region, as well as educate producers regarding tilapia standards. Specific activities include:
- Convene buyers, their suppliers, and local farmers through meetings, workshops, and roundtable discussions to develop AIP programs/activities
- Circulate a white paper on Chinese tilapia to major buyers highlighting outstanding issues in the tilapia industry
- Assist major buyers in developing procurement policies for Chinese tilapia
- Promote understanding of sustainability by engaging major players in the tilapia supply chains
- Conduct an environmental impact assessment in one tilapia region in Hainan, China
- Develop and communicate strategies for small-scale farms aimed at improving management systems to a certifiable level
- Share lessons learned regarding best management practices in tilapia farming in China and other tilapia regions.
Contact: If you would like more information about the AIP or wish to support the AIP, please contact SFP
