Farmed as far back as ancient Egypt, tilapia was originally promoted as a pond fish to aid poor, rural families in developing, tropical nations. How times have changed. Now a globally-grown favourite and a flexible household staple in America, this hardy, fast-growing species has already exceeded all expectations. And its phenomenal rise is far from finished. Today raised in more than 85 countries, global supplies of this North African native are growing almost exponentially. Nearly 2.5 million tonnes are produced annually, of which the most important species has traditionally been Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia), though a variety of species are now farmed worldwide. Three-quarters of all tilapia is farm-raised, with China accounting for nearly 80% of the world's production. In the past decade, Africa's meagre aquaculture industry (discounting Egypt) has shown remarkable growth - an achievement almost entirely attributable to tilapia farming, which in 2005 amounted to more than 245,000 tonnes.
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