Public Meeting on Commercial Import of Nile Tilapia to Hawaiʻi

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture will hold a public hearing from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, at the Department of Agriculture Conference Room in Kahului, to receive testimony on proposed amendments to move Nile Tilapia from Restricted List A to Restricted List B in Hawaiʻi.

Cooked Tilapia. Photo Courtesy

Currently, Nile Tilapia is on Restricted List A which is for research. The Aquaculture/Aquaponics growers have worked on moving it to Restricted List B to allow for commercial production for a long period of time.

Nile Tilapia is a fast-growing species of Tilapia, it grows twice as fast as other Tilapia and is used by 90% of fish farmers worldwide.

Officials say that if the amendment gets approved, it will transform Hawaiʻi’s Tilapia farming industry.

The Department of Agriculture says domesticated pure Nile Tilapia have very small mouths and big bodies and are designed to live in a high-density environment on a controlled diet and that they do not pose threat to our existing ecosystem.

If unable to attend the hearings, you can submit support to [email protected] with “Testimony” in the subject line.