March 19, 2026
FAI launches Tilapia Hub to put welfare at the core of global tilapia production
FAI has launched the Tilapia Hub, a comprehensive new online platform designed to help tilapia supply chain professionals embed fish welfare in business performance.
Sara Barrento
Head of e-Learning
Sara is a marine biologist from Portugal passionate about communication, training and making complex topics accessible to all audiences in the supply chain. She is FAI’s Head of Training managing FAI Academy and the training management system Wyllow. She also co-creates and delivers free online and blended training events available in many languages to aquaculture farmers globally.
Sara completed her PhD on the nutritional quality and physiological responses to transport and storage of live crustaceans traded in Portugal in 2010 at Porto University. Since then, she has worked as a post-doc in Portugal, Chile and the UK on international collaborative projects related to the live trade of farmed mussels, kelp farming and the welfare of fish and shrimp. She started lecturing at Swansea University in 2015, where she maintains an honorary role.
Sara lives in Wales where you’ll find her mountain biking wherever there are trails, surfing off the Gower or sweating at hot yoga.
The Tilapia Hub combines FAI’s multilingual online training, face‑to‑face learning and practical welfare assessment tools, including the Tilapia Welfare App, and is available in the six languages spoken by most tilapia farmers – Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic and English.
Strong welfare standards vital
Tilapia is among the world’s top three most farmed species, with global production second only to carp and forecast to reach nine million tonnes by 2030. As demand for this versatile, high-quality source of protein continues to rise, the need for strong welfare standards across the supply chain is vital.
FAI has long championed improved welfare in aquaculture, recognising fish and other aquatic animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, fear and stress.
Expectations from retailers, regulators, and buyers are also rising worldwide. Because good welfare practices are linked to improved productivity and reduced losses, prioritising welfare delivers clear commercial as well as ethical benefits.
“We are already influencing thousands of tilapia farmers worldwide. The Tilapia Hub accelerates this progress by translating our global welfare programme into a user-friendly digital platform. Importantly, the Hub not only provides the training and assessment tools producers need but also supports them prepare for certification with leading bodies such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and the Global Seafood Alliance. This enables companies to gain recognition for their commitment to high welfare standards.“
Progress is recognised through the achievement of two welfare badges, demonstrating measurable improvement in on-farm practices. The ‘welfare-trained’ badge is awarded on completion of FAI’s Tilapia Welfare Trained Foundation course and a commitment to assessing welfare, followed by the ‘welfare-assessed’ badge, granted after successful implementation and independent assessment of welfare outcomes.
Latest research and technology
In addition, the Hub provides opportunities for specialist tilapia partners and suppliers to share the latest research, innovation and technology, helping to secure welfare’s place at the centre of tilapia’s sustainable future.
The Tilapia Hub is hosted on FAI Academy, FAI’s global learning platform serving food professionals from farm to retail.
“FAI's science-based training and welfare assessments complement our mission to deliver robust and sustainable tilapia genetics. By combining genetics with welfare practices, we are helping farmers achieve stronger performance while upholding standards that benefit both the animals and the industry,” said Marina Delphino of GenoMar Genetics in Brazil.
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Sara Barrento
Head of e-Learning
Sara is a marine biologist from Portugal passionate about communication, training and making complex topics accessible to all audiences in the supply chain. She is FAI’s Head of Training managing FAI Academy and the training management system Wyllow. She also co-creates and delivers free online and blended training events available in many languages to aquaculture farmers globally.
Sara completed her PhD on the nutritional quality and physiological responses to transport and storage of live crustaceans traded in Portugal in 2010 at Porto University. Since then, she has worked as a post-doc in Portugal, Chile and the UK on international collaborative projects related to the live trade of farmed mussels, kelp farming and the welfare of fish and shrimp. She started lecturing at Swansea University in 2015, where she maintains an honorary role.
Sara lives in Wales where you’ll find her mountain biking wherever there are trails, surfing off the Gower or sweating at hot yoga.