1. Tilapia genetic management at the farming level
by Renata Barroso

3. BACKGROUND - REGION

4. BACKGROUND HOW DID TILAPIA REACH THE REGION?
SEVERAL AND SEQUENCIAL STOCKING OF BIG RESERVOIRS
SINCE THE 50’S
5.5 million ha of flooded areas –
mainly water plant reservoirs

5. 50’s 70’s 1996 2000’s Tilapia rendalli from Congo
Chitralada strain (domesticated, cold resistance, better yield)
Improvment programs
Tilapia rendalli
from Congo
Goal: stocking reservoirs
2002 – (GIFT) Supreme
2005 / GIFT from Malasia
2013 – (GIFT) Spring
2015 – GIFT Aquamerica
50’s
70’s
1996
2000’s
GIFT
O. angolensis from África
Red Stirling
Saint Peter
O. niloticus e
O. mossambicus
Bouake - from Ivory Cost

6. LAST 10 YEARS - BIG EXPANSION
47% Brazilian aquaculture
grow 14 to 20% yearly
Structured chain
Internal consumption (negative trade balance of fish in more than 168,119 t and US$ 605 million (2015))
≈ US$ 330 million (farm price – 10-20%
profitability)
≈ 450 million seeds (US$17 million)
≈ ton of feed (US$1,200 billion)
≈ employment (just production)
+ inclusion of smallscale farmers
By Brazilian fisheries law up to 1% of the total area could be utilized for aquaculture
production which corresponds to 55,000 ha (IN nº 7, april 28, 2005).

7. Technical aspects of tilapia farming in Brazil
Starting size = 10 a 40 g  Comercial size = 750 gr to 1,2 kg
Harvest = 6 to 8 month
32% ptn feed = US$ 0,43/kg to US$ 0,48/kg
Fries (0,2 to 1 g ) = US$ 25 to US$ 30/ thousand
Fingerling (10 to 40 g) = US$ 110 to US$130 / thousand
> 70% of the total cost
7-10%
of the total cost
US$ 0.92/kg a US$ 1/ kg
US$ 0.73 to US$ 0.86/ kg
40 e 120 kg/m3
4 to 30 kg/m2

8. TILAPIA PERFORMANCE TODAY
Mixed
GIFT strain
Chitralada strain
Mixed
BRAZILIAN MARKET DEMAND
FILLET to 850 gr
Whole > 900 gr

9. SOME IMPROVEMNET PROGRAMS USING GIFT in BRAZIL
Breeding values using linear mixed models broodstock evaluation
Couple evaluation
Rotational Breeding
BLUP
Microchip
Molecular markers
Control inbreeding
Follow Pedigree

10. GENETIC IMPROVEMENT SECTOR DEMAND
- Take into account regional necessity
- precocity;
- weather resistance; (cold or hot places)
- Better fillet yield;
- disease resistance;
- higher performance;
etc.

11. Genetic companies Hatcheries Middleman Fish farm
GENETIC MANAGEMENT - HATCHERIES 1
Genetic companies 2
Hatcheries 3
Middleman
Fish farm

12. Seasonality x market demand
MAIN GENETIC MANAGEMENT - FARMERS
Seasonality x market demand
Attempting to supply the market, farmers accept different source of seeds;
Seasonality in supply, short gap
Winter  Easter

13. GENETIC MANAGEMENT - FARMERS
Middleman or non professional hatcheries
Risk of bad quality of seeds
Farmers are not aware about the risks
Farmers has difficulty to follow zootechnical gains of strains
(25% profit margin)
Many of them in the country

14. INDICATORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN CHOSING THE BEST STRAIN
ADAPTABILITY TO THE GROWTH system or ENVIRONMENT
LATE SPAWN
GROWTH RATE
FOOD CONVERSION
FILLET YIELD
DOMESICATION
Organized
Data control

15. Confining improved strains to few companies or few regions
CURRENT STATUS
Close to 90% of tilapia produced in Brazil use improved strain
HOWEVER, most of hatcheries doesn’t use any technology to avoid inbreeding
Few hatcheries apply genetic control, separate families, chip broodstock, follow pedigree, so on.
Few skilled people working with fish genetic improvement  caught by big enterprises
Confining improved strains to few companies or few regions

16. As a strategy to increase productivity in different regions of the country, sector must organize and manage seeds improvement and distribution.
Genetic improvement program has no impact if improved strains do not reach productive sector

17. Conclusion STRATEGIC STEPS:
Map demand and supply for fingerlings in particular geographic region;
Map the genetic used in the country and local genetic demand;
Identify technical level of the most representative hatcheries in these regions;
Capacity building farmers to optimize farming improved strains.
Learning with other’ success - Apply experiences of management of other agribusinesses.

18. Questions?? Thank you!! Renata Melon Barroso, PhD
Embrapa Fisheries and Aquaculture / Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation  skype: cnpasa.renata Phone: +55 (63)  e   Mobile: +55 (63)