Consumption of tilapia in the developed, western markets (Europe and the USA) was initially a substitution of various whitefish species. Tilapia represented a cheap substitute for cod, hake and other whitefish species. However, this is in the process of changing, and tilapia is now becoming a better-known product in its own right also at the consumer level.

Sales of tilapia on these markets have expanded dramatically over the past five or six years, and it appears that demand will continue to increase.

The USA is the most important market for tilapia fillets at the moment, but the European market is also developing. We expect that the European market will develop strongly over the next decade.

Demand for tilapia has grown steadily and strongly over the past decades. The largest market for processed tilapia (mostly frozen fillets) is by far the USA. The USA in 2007 imported over 280,000 tonnes (product weight, corresponding to about 427,500 tonnes of live weight).

US imports of tilapia
Volume in 1000 tonnes (product weight).
Source: FAO GLOBEFISH; Estimates by GenoMar.

	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008E	2009E
Round frozen	57.3	56.5	60.8	46.9	50.0	50.0
Frozen fillets	36.2	55.6	74.4	100.6	100.0	120.0
Fresh/chilled fillets	19.5	22.7	23.1	26.3	25.0	30.0
Sum	112.9	134.9	158.3	173.7	175.0	200.0
Live weight equivalent	224.4	291.4	353.3	427.6	430.0	480.0