Sustainability Standards Created for Tilapia Aquaculture Industry

Tilapia is one of the most popular types of seafood people eat. Most of it - 75 percent - comes from an enclosed "farm" in the ocean or an inland farm, such as a man-made pond. It's called tilapia aquaculture and it is one of the fastest growing food industries in the world, reports www.megaafishnet.com with reference to WWF.

Despite its tremendous role as a food provider, the industry sometimes has a negative impact on the environment (e.g., polluting the water and spreading diseases to wild-caught fish).

Through a five-year initiative called the Tilapia Aquaculture Dialogue (TAD), which was coordinated by WWF, more than 200 people created global standards designed to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts associated with tilapia farming. The standards were finalized in December 2009. Tilapia farmers who adopt the standards will earn a label certifying that their seafood was raised in an environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible way.