Super Tilapia of ICLARM (now known as WorldFish Centre) is farmed at present in various countries such as Israel, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and also in Bangladesh. Super Tilapia, otherwise known as GIFT (Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapia) was developed by the scientists at WorldFish Center (formerly known as ICLARM) through selective breeding of several strains of Nile Tilapia. This grows faster and survives better than the original fish.
According to available information farmers across Asia are increasingly culturing Super Tilapia (GIFT). This fish lowers the farmers’ cost of production, thereby optimizing their income. It also allows them to practice low cost, environmentally friendly aquaculture. According to available information, GIFT survives well even in polluted waters. It can be farmed well under extensive systems too, avoiding even the application of commercial feeds, it is said. At the same time, it is stated that the fish also responds well when extra feed is given. GIFT benefits both the rich and poor farmers. An example given is that a small farmer owning 1.56 ha of pond in the Philippines could earn as much as US $ 3,100 per year by farming GIFT without the use of commercial feed and with no additional expense.
GIFT was developed by WorldFish Center (former ICLARM) from several strains of Nile Tilapia, a popular farmed fish in Asia, adopting traditional selective breeding techniques. It is neither genetically modified nor transgenic. It is stated to be now in its ninth generation of selection and has yet to reach its maximum potential yield. Selective breeding of Nile Tilapia is continuing in a number of countries seeking to develop a GIFT variety tailored to local growing conditions, it is mentioned. Tilapia is rapidly expanding its market share, helped by the drop in capture fisheries. The Americal Tilapia Association reported that retail sales of Tilapia had surpassed that of trout since 1995. Indonesia, Thailand, China and Taiwan are leading Asian exporters of Tilapia and its products to the growing US and European markets. The US is the world’s largest importer of Tilapia and Tilapia products. Bangladesh and Srilanka also export Tilapia to US and other countries.
Tilapia has come to be the most studied tropical food fish. Only the temperate Atlantic salmon has seen more research performed on it. Sometimes known as “Everybody’s fish”, Tilapia farming is popular because it is vigorous and tolerates crowding incredibly well in fish ponds, it is pointed out.
GIFT consumes rice bran to weeds and even sewage but it is mainly plant-eating. It can reach marketable size in four months when reared in cages, and in six months when grown in ponds rich in natural food and without the use of commercial feed, it is stated out.
It is stated that demand for GIFT fry exceeds supply at the moment. The reason for this is stated to be poor management and technical inefficiency at many hatcheries. However, it is stated that efforts are underway to improve hatchery operations and, in some countries, governments are training workers to maintain GIFT broodstocks properly.
Farm trials in a number of countries have shown strong gains in GIFT yields, compared with local strains, between 25 per cent (China) and 78 per cent (Bangladesh). The cost of production of GIFT is also stated to be markedly lower, compared other cultivated species, over 30 per cent in the Philippines and Bangladesh and about 20 per cent in China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Philippines: So far, acceptance of GIFT is most striking in the Philippines. GIFT fry now accounts for over 30 percent of Tilapia fry supplied to Philippines farmers. Tilapia was unknown in the Philippines 25 years ago.
Thailand: GIFT is also spreading fast in Thailand. It is possible that what is good for Thailand will probably be good for India too, but a study of the present status of GIFT farming in Thailand in relation to its effects on ecological conditions may be helpful to have an answer.
China: In China, the world’s biggest producer of Tilapia, GIFT is spurring Tilapia farming and consumption in the warmer central and southern regions. Commercial breeders now have access to several state hatcheries. Chinese experience is stated to be that Tilapia is easy to grow and is more resistant to disease than carps. The diversification in China towards GIFT farming deserves to be considered for emulation in India. A confirmatory study covering various angles of the subject can be undertaken to start with. While Chinese farmers continue to culture their carps, they have diversified into GIFT farming, apparently for augmenting production and incomes.
Indonesia: In Indonesia, GIFT is usually farmed in freshwater lakes. However, it has been found to grow well on natural food in tanks and ponds and this is sparking enthusiasm among farmers to take to GIFT farming. Farmers growing carp in freshwater lakes in West Java have switched over to GIFT, an indicator for Indian farmers to consider following similar practice. As GIFT meat is thicker and firmer than that of local strains, it is stated to be the leading farming species in Indonesia.
Big seafood exporter in Indonesia, the Swiss-owned Aquafarm Nusantara, is understood to have taken up farming GIFT in lake Toba, a famous crater lake in Sumatra for export to the US, having discovered that GIFT yields are 35 percent higher than normal strains.
Malaysia: Red and black Tilapia is farmed in Malaysia. The Malaysian Fisheries Research Institute and WorldFish Centre (former ICLARM) hope to develop an improved GIFT strain that can adopt itself well to local water bodies and which will contribute to Governmment’s target of raising aquaculture output substantially by 2010.
Bangladesh and Vietnam: As GIFT is fast growing and high yielding, it is considered ideal for culture in seasonal ponds that dot Bangladeshi countryside. The widely cultivated Indian major carps do poorly in these seasonal water bodies. GIFT is also making inroads into Vietnam, where carps and riverine catfish are currently the freshwater species cultured. Half the animal protein intake comes from fish in these two countries.
Indian government is understood to be against the introduction of GIFT a widely accepted fish for farming in several countries, in India. It is to be noted here that there are no reports of any harm done by GIFT (Super Tilapia) to the fish fauna of the countries into which it was introduced. This could be probably confirmed by the Indian authorities concerned by sponsoring an indepth study of the ongoing GIFT farming activities and their effects on local fish fauna in countries such as Thailand, China, Indonesia, Philippines and near home in Bangladesh. Further, Vorion Chemicals, Chennai, undertook monosex culture of Nile Tilapia until recently for a quite a few years, with no known reports of either its escape into the wild waters or of ecologically adverse affects of this fish on native fish fauna. Yet, probably on account of the reason that compulsions that forced vorion to take up Nile Tilapia monosex culture, although it was not part of their profession, were no longer there, the company gave up Nile Tilapia farming.
Nila Tilapia/GIFT (Super Tilapia) has to be considered as an eminently viable species. GIFT has become popular in neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with no reported adverse repercussions. Fillets of this fish are being exported from these countries mostly to USA. So far as India is concerned, there is no material to conclude that, if introduced in India, GIFT (Super Tilapia) would harm the native fish fauna. In the light of the fact that Nile Tilapia, cultured by Vorion Chemicals, had not been reported to have entered the wild, it could be considered that introduction of GIFT (Super Tilapia), which is a selectively bred version of several types of Nile Tilapia would not be an ecological hazard if introduced. Further, GIFT (Super Tilapia), introduced by the respective governments in south-east Asian Countries, as referred to above, has brought prosperty to the farmers of those countries, besides augmenting production for domestic consumption as well as exports. There are no reports of any adverse affects on account of the introduction of GIFT. Qualities of GIFT are different from Tilapia mossambica, which was introduced into Indian waters long back in 1960s and acquired a bad reputation of having become a pest. This experience should not be a deterrent to the introduction of GIFT, a far superior strain with sterling farming qualities and export potential.
In the light of the developments beneficial to the farmers taking place in neighbouring countries because of introduction of GIFT for farming, without causing any adverse effect on indigenous species and on the environment, it is desirable that Indian Government takes steps to formulate a pilot project in this respect that would provide setting up of a few GIFT hatcheries at selected points and formulate guidelines for their operation and supply of certified seed, monosex or otherwise, to the farmers, for its farming. It may be noted here that in USA too Tilapia farming has been introduced and American Tilapia Association is understood to be promoting this. In the present scenario that displays symptoms of stagnation in aquaproducts exports, the crucial importance of introducing GIFT deserves the consideration of the authorities concerned. At a technical session held in Visakhapatnam as part of Fish Farmers Day celebration on 10 July 2005, the following recommendation was made.
“Considering that Genetical Improvement of farmed Tilapia (GIFT) fish is being cultured and exported in fillet form by several countries such as Taiwan, Israel, Thailand etc. to USA, Europe and Japan in large quantities and that there are no serious environmental hazards reported from those countries, the Session recommended that government may reconsider the issue with a view to allowing introduction of GIFT fish in India, its seed production and farming under a regulated system and its export.
In case there are confirmed and compelling reasons and justifications for not allowing introduction of GIFT (Super Tilapia) for farming in India, the Union Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries may consider coming out with an explanation to the farmers pointing out the reasons for not permitting its introduction and tell them about the unfortunate reasons for depriving them from augmenting their incomes through this route as is being done by countries such as Thailand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The Indian farmers have a cause to prevail upon the Union Department to review their present decision, which is not in consonance with the policy adopted by the other governments of the region, whose concerns are no less important than ours, and either favour the introduction of GIFT (Super Tilapia) in India, subject to whatever conditions that may have to be stipulated, or recommend an alternative which will enable the farmers to augment their incomes. It is also unfortunate that the Associations of Fish Farmers in the country are so complacent that they have neither prevailed upon the government to allow introduction of GIFT into the country, nor have they explained their silence convincingly. Apparently the Associations are weak and unless they strengthen themselves, there can be no way for the farmers to secure relief to the farmers from the silent agony they have been enduring because of the present culture fishery situation revolving predominantly round Indian major carps, with declining or static incomes and rising expenses.