If the curse of the hardy, abundant, and inexpensive tilapia in the domestic market is its "poor man's fish" image, the greatest obstacle to foreign sales is the intractable problem of drug residues. This is especially true for the EU market, with its stricter testing standards.
生命力強、普遍而廉價，若說吳郭魚的「窮人魚」形象是內銷的原罪，遲遲無法解決的用藥問題則是外銷的最大阻礙，特別是面對藥檢標準更高的歐盟市場。