Tilapia production grows in SC combined with DNA studies and fish becomes a favorite during Lent

The tradition of “drying the lagoons” is common at this time of year in Santa Catarina. With the help of friends and neighbors, tilapia farmers put out the muddy water and use it to make money in times when white meat has become the absolute preference of Christians. Although 93% of the 31,000 fish breeders in the State are amateurs, according to Epagri, a thorough and professional study of genetic improvement is behind the increase in production.

Receive news from SC via WhatsApp

Data from 2015 shows that 30 thousand tons were produced in Santa Catarina that year. In 2022, the year of the last survey, there were 42.1 thousand tons, an increase of 40%. This is linked to a tilapia strain called SC04, better adapted to the climate and cultivation characteristics in our regions. This helped the State to become the fourth largest producer of fish in all of Brazil, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The greater production efficiency due to this selection of the best individuals of the species makes it possible to increase supply and, as a consequence, makes tilapia the favorite of Lent in Santa Catarina. Although other saltwater fish have more pomp at Easter time, such as cod, it is in the light and low-fat meat of tilapia that many people from Santa Catarina find the option to obey Christian traditions. And all of this has as a backdrop the supply of fry (baby fish) suitable for the conditions of the State.

— With this, the tilapia improvement project can reach the producer with an animal of excellent genetic quality so that he can obtain a good economic gain, thus meeting the needs of the fish farming chain — highlights Bruno Corrêa da Silva, researcher at Epagri and coordinator of the Tilápia SC04 program.

What happened on Good Friday? What does the date mean

Nanochips and DNA testing

To reach these numbers, the genetic improvement work on tilapia involves individual marking of the fish studied, using nanochips installed in the animals. After identification, each fish has a piece of its fin removed. This material goes to the molecular biology laboratory to analyze the DNA and, from there, provide input to scientists.

Just to give you an idea, a survey by Epagri shows that the gain in growth of tilapia is 34%, making it develop faster and, as a consequence, be sold earlier. Between 2019 and 2022, just to give you an idea, the operating profit per hectare was R$54,900 for producers.

— Tilapia has become a fashionable fish because the fillet is meaty, has a neutral flavor and the spine is concentrated right in the middle, easy to remove. Cooks and people at home have increasingly discovered the versatility of tilapia — analyzes German chef Heiko Grabolle, from the Biergarten Pomerânia restaurant, one of the establishments in the State that relies on fish for recipes at this time of year.

Those who are grateful are the producers who, even without living off tilapia, have an opportunity for extra income in the tasty fish, such as the couple Lore Wachholz Gaulke and Rubens, who sold 12 tons during Lent last year alone:

— Tilapia represents 95% of our sales.

Read more:

What opens and closes on Easter 2024 in Blumenau and supermarket opening hours

Price of fish in the Public Market, in Florianópolis, varies up to 186% during Holy Week

Variation in fish prices during Holy Week exceeds 400% in Joinville

Check out what’s open and what’s closed at Easter in Florianópolis