Tilapia fish in Iran: An invasive species for the environment or a suitable option to achieve food security?

According to ISNA, aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants in fresh, brackish and sea water, and among these, tilapia is a freshwater fish belonging to the Cichlid family. This species is native to Africa, but was introduced to many tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the world during the second half of the 20th century for breeding as food, recreational fishing, aquatic weed control, and research purposes. Tilapia is the second most productive fish in the world, and according to global statistics, from 1990 to 2020, the production of this fish has increased 15 times in 140 countries. Tilapia was first used by the Japanese in World War II due to its resilience in harsh environmental conditions and its easy reproduction. Tilapia fish entered the country in 2007 as a high-production option, but it was faced with different opinions and opinions, and different institutions had many positive and negative ...