 Farmed tilapia production is about annually, with an estimated value of US$1.8 billion, about equal to that of salmon and trout.Unlike those carnivorous fish, tilapia can feed on algae or any plant-based food.This reduces the cost of tilapia farming, reduces fishing pressure on prey species, avoids concentrating toxins that accumulate at higher levels of the food chain, and makes tilapia the preferred "aquatic chickens" of the trade.