In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) make up over 80% of aquaculture production. However, the local aquaculture farmers are restricted by the unavailability and expensive cost of formulated rations. To reduce reliance on the scarce and expensive fishmeal used in fish feeds, alternative insect protein has been successfully utilized in many aquafeeds. However, data on the influence of insect-based feed on the growth and economic benefit of feeding tilapia with the emerging insect-based diet are scanty. This study investigated the effect of partially and completely substituting fishmeal with black soldier fly larval meal (BM) on growth and economic parameters of tilapia. The O. niloticus was fed a standard commercial diet as a control (100% FM; 0% BM), BM33 (67% FM; 33% BM), BM67 (33% FM; 67% BM) and BM100 (0% FM; 100% BM) for 20 weeks in randomly assigned cages mounted in an 800 m² earthen pond. Results from this study showed that diet type significantly (p < 0.05) affected the feed intake of the fish as well as weight gain. The feed conversion ratio and survival rate of O. niloticus did not vary across the different diets. Fish fed Diet₁ had a 15% increase in weight when compared to fish fed the control diet. Return on investment and the cost–benefit ratio was similar across the diets, suggesting that BM is a suitable and cost-equivalent dietary supplement of FM up to 100% in aquafeed for growing tilapia fish in earthen ponds for the market.

Feeds and feed management practices are key to the development of the aquaculture sector. To achieve high levels of aquaculture production, fish farmers need nutritionally adequate and cost-effective feeds, which are coupled with good feed management practices. Access to high quality and cost-effective feeds is one of the prerequisites to successful fish farming. This paper reviews the current status of the Kenyan fish feed industry and feed management practices. The review includes constraints and opportunities in fish feeds from a farmer's perspective. The review shows that the fish feed industry has been boosted by the development of fish feed standards, which has ensured access to high-quality fish feeds by all farmers. Feed management practices considerably impact on the economic performance in fish production. Thus, adopting appropriate feed management technologies and feeding strategies is instrumental in maximizing aquaculture productivity. Some of the major challenges faced by fish farmers in the feed sector including limited access to finance, lack of appropriate technical innovations, limited knowledge in feed formulation and processing and poor feed handling and storage are discussed. These challenges pose limitation in investment opportunities for a viable and sustainable fish feed processing and manufacturing to meet the rising demand occasioned by increased demand for fish food in Kenya. There is a huge potential to develop public-private partnerships with farmer groups to improve access to training and information dissemination on feeds availability and quality. Training fish farmers on feed formulation using locally available feed ingredients provide an opportunity to reduce feed costs, increase feeding efficiency and improve profitability. This paper reviews the current status of the Kenyan fish feed industry and feed management practices including constraints and opportunities from a farmer's perspective.

This review paper provides an in‐depth analysis of the current status, challenges, and strategies for improvement within the fish feed industry in East Africa, focusing on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Aquaculture production in these countries is experiencing steady growth, driven by increasing demand for fish and fish products for both nutritional and economic purposes. Despite the market facilitating the transition from extensive to semi‐intensive and moderately intensive farming systems across the four countries, the sector’s progress is hampered by a lack of sustainable, locally produced, high‐quality, and cost‐effective fish feeds tailored to different developmental stages of fish. Despite the evident need, there is a notable scarcity of comprehensive reviews addressing the regional perspective of fish feed due to heightened cross‐border trade driven by the soaring demand and increased installation of cages in Lake Victoria, as well as in inland dams and reservoirs. This paper addresses critical challenges, such as regional scarcity and limited access to quality feed ingredients, regulatory obstacles, insufficient quality control measures, infrastructure constraints, and a lack of awareness and understanding of feed management and formulation. To overcome these challenges, the paper recommends fostering collaboration to establish a robust regional fish feed supply chain, investing in research and development initiatives, advocating for policy reforms and regulatory support, and compliance with East African Community quality standards for fish feed. Moreover, there is an urgent need to enhance human resource capacity through training and extension services, promote public investment support, strengthen sector institutions and industry associations, conduct training and awareness programs for feed providers, and improve storage facilities to maintain feed quality. The paper provides policymakers with valuable insights to inform targeted interventions that will catalyze positive transformation within the fish feed industry in East Africa.

Cost of fish production can be reduced by replacement of high-priced fishmeal (FM) with insects sourced ingredients. Four months feed experiment was conducted at a fish farm in Baringo County, Kenya to investigate effects of substituting fishmeal (FM) with black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) on survival and growth performance of C. gariepinus under aquaponic system. Three test diets 35% crude protein content (CP) in which FM was substituted by BSFLM at 25%, 50% and 75% were formulated and experimented with commercial diet of 35% CP. Four weeks old C. gariepinus were stocked in 12 tanks at a density of 50 fish/tank and subjected to the diets. Fish were sampled every three weeks; water parameters were sampled weekly and mortality recorded on occurrence. Diet with 50% BSFLM obtained better FCR for formulated diets with no significance (P<0.05) for FCR and survival. Weight gain of control diet (97.07 g) was significant (P<0.05) compared to formulated diets 64.09g, 69.78g and 67.77g for 75%, 50% and 25% of BSFL replacement respectively. Growth performance and survival demonstrated that BSFLM has potential to substitute FM up to 75%. The fish productivity can be improved and feed cost reduced by incorporating fully defatted BSFLM with CP higher than 25.3% used for the diets.

Aquaculture plays a critical role in global food security, with Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) recognized for its adaptability and robust growth. However, traditional feeds, heavily reliant on fishmeal (FM) and soybean meal, face economic and environmental challenges. In response, black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) has emerged as a promising, nutrient‐dense alternative. This review synthesizes existing literature on BSFLM’s nutritional profile and its suitability for Nile tilapia diets, while acknowledging that the data come from diverse independent studies conducted under varying environmental conditions and husbandry practices. BSFLM consistently provides high‐quality protein (29.9%–48.2%), aligning with tilapia’s requirements, and is rich in essential minerals and fatty acids. While its lipid content (25.69%–28.43%) may require processing adjustments, the overall profile supports tilapia health and growth. Trends from case studies suggest that certain systems, such as hapas placed in ponds, have reported favorable growth and feed conversion efficiencies at 50% FM replacement levels. However, these findings cannot be directly compared across all studies due to differences in methodologies, culture conditions, and inclusion rates. Instead, they collectively indicate that BSFLM can effectively replace traditional protein sources and enhance sustainability. As research and production scale up, careful consideration of context, system design, and feed formulations will be essential. Collaborative efforts among researchers, industry, and policymakers will further refine the use of BSFLM, ultimately advancing the environmental and economic sustainability of Nile tilapia aquaculture.

Cage fish farming, a recent development in aquaculture, has enhanced fisheries production due to its higher stocking densities than traditional pond and open-water systems. Although it can enhance production, the system can pose biodiversity threats when there is an unintentional or intentional release of stocked fish into the wild. In this review, we examine the expansion of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) cage aquaculture in Africa and the potential threats that this may have on congeneric Oreochromis species. Threats such as interspecific competition, disease transmission and hybridisation, which are drivers of genetic diversity loss among native fish populations, have been reported. However, most studies have focused on investigating cage fish production, water quality and the associated economics, but research assessing the genetic and ecological impacts imposed by the escaped fish from cages on native species is still limited across African countries. While direct evidence of hybridisation due to cage fish farming is lacking, genetic mixing of Nile tilapia with native Oreochromis species has been reported in some African water bodies. Further, only Egypt, Kenya and Uganda have functional Fisheries and Aquaculture regulations for guiding the aquaculture activities. Thus, there is an urgent need to institute regulatory frameworks that not only provide clear guidelines on aquaculture production but also balance between environmental conservation and economic sustainability