PILI, Camarines Sur (PNA) — There are several good reasons why fishery authorities have been encouraging fishermen in Bicol Region or even in the whole country to raise more “tilapia” (scientific name – tilapia nituka) preferably through aquaculture.

Tilapia is now officially considered the Filipino poor man’s fish replacing “galungggong” (roundscad) and while most of its production in the Philippines is consumed locally, demand in the international market has been growing.

According to Dennis del Socorro, the regional director for Bicol of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) based here, said latest report of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association said that in the United States (US), tilapia has shown the biggest gains in popularity among seafood.

This trend is expected to continue as consumption is projected to increase from 1.5 million tons in 2003 to 2.5 million tons by 2010, Del Socorro said, quoting the report.

He said that like Americans, Europeans also have the passion – and taste – for tilapia since they consider it as “white meat,” a health food low in cholesterol and fat. Also, European chefs have a preference for its firm meat.

And because of its large demand in the world market, tilapia commands a high price as in the US, for instance, the typical retail price for whole live tilapia is from $10 per kilo, while fresh tilapia fillet is being sold at the same price.

Back home and as a presently preferred food of most Filipinos, tilapia already indicates that if its price rises, hunger incidence would also go up, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

A NEDA report said that a correlation between the price of tilapia and hunger incidence had already been established since it overtook galunggong starting over five years ago due to supply factor owing to aquaculture or fish farming adopted by most raisers.

The report said prices of tilapia now range between P80 to P100 per kilo, while the lowest price of galunggong is P120.

Apart from tilapia that has been touted as the answer to the fish requirements of Filipinos, the aquaculture species currently produced in the country are bangus (milkfish), seaweed, brackish water shrimp, oyster, and mussel.

After carps and salmonids, tilapia is the third most important fish around the world and is considered the single most important aquaculture product. World Aquaculture Society's Dr. Kevin Fitzsimmons branded tilapia as the "foodfish of the 21st century."

In the Philippines, tilapia is now the second most important fish, after bangus.

Tilapia fishpens are a common sight in almost all the major rivers and lakes in the country, including Buhi and Bato Lakes in Camarines Sur, Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, and Lake Sebu. Backyard tilapia farming is also fast becoming popular among rural households.

Dr. Rafael Guerrero III, the man who popularized tilapia in the Philippines, touted tilapia as the "country's wave of the future."

As he puts it, "We are now one of the world's leading producers of tilapia that include China, Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, Uganda, Mexico, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

And to think that tilapia was considered a nuisance fish when it was first introduced in the Philippines in 1950.

In the past, tilapia was only raised in Africa, but accidental and deliberate introductions of the fish into fresh water lakes made them feasible to be raised in tropical climate such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia.