Progress towards providing Fijian farmers with a better tilapia strain: evaluation of the GIFT fish in Fiji

Abstract

The relative growth performance of the GIFT strain Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was compared under integrated and non-integrated conditions with the best performing ‘indigenous’ Fijian tilapia strain, O. niloticus ‘Chitralada’ in Fiji. Replicated trials in hapas over two generations (cool and warm seasons) showed that the growth performance of the GIFT strain was significantly better than Chitralada under both integrated and non-integrated culture conditions. Part of the significant difference in the mean final weights between the two strains resulted from the relatively ‘late’ maturation of GIFT compared to Chitralada so that somatic growth was not reduced by energy being converted to reproduction. The data presented here provide strong support for future fish breeding programs to be based on GIFT strain so as to provide Fijian farmers with a better culture strain.