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BigFish, a Tilapia Top Breeding Center in Tanzania near Dar es Salaam, is a highly qualified hatchery and leading supplier of all male Nile Tilapia. Their YY technology, a unique reproduction process, has been made available for large-scale application in the tilapia sector.

The most important product category of BigFish is YY-broodstock of tilapia. From a bio-secure location in Kigamboni, Tanzania, a dedicated team of professionals pack and ship fry or broodstock to farmers and large hatcheries so that they can benefit of an all-male tilapia population in their production without the use of hormones.

The Natural Male Tilapia (NMT – XY) offspring, produced with YY-broodstock, will grow substantial faster (+15%) than a hormone treated sex reversed batch and faster (+30%) than a mixed sex batch of tilapia. This NMT offspring has substantial higher survival (90-95%) compared to the regular hormone treated fry on the market due to a stronger immune system. For local farmers without an own hatchery, BigFish offers the required amount of NMT fry.

As said, the Tilapia Top Breeding Center is located in Kigamboni, the Dar Es Salaam region, in the Eastern part of Tanzania and the hatchery facility has a disease free status on all threatening notifiable pathogens. By road or through the airport location nearby the boxes with live fish can be shipped fast and easily to all countries on the African continent, maximizing the quality on arrival.

Because the staff of the Tilapia Top Breeding Center intensively selects on the quality of the YY-parent stock, they can maintain a leading position as supplier of YY – technology. This allows the customer, through a complete natural reproduction, to rely on a almost one hundred percent male offspring. Naturally client demands can be incorporated in the program to select on specific characteristics.

The Tilapia Top Breeding Center has an inhouse extensive Research and Development capacity to improve genetics and to optimize reproduction technology. A Dutch key business partners, Til-Aqua International BV, founded in 1990 and Holland Aqua BV, founded in 2011, are committed to develop and exchange knowledge about the production process in every aspect from broodstock, hatchery, to transportation, training and service.

The sophisticated hatchery has a staff of 5 professionals with degrees in aquaculture, aquatic ecology and engineering. A veterinarian on the team takes care about all aspects on fish health, fish welfare and biosecurity of the facilities. Aquaculture experts from The Netherlands (Holland Aqua and Til-Aqua) are supporting the team. Our team is of course available for training, advice, consulting and business support.

BigFish Tilapia Top Breeding Center has a hatchery with a capacity of annual 5-10 mln NMT fry/year for ongrowing and quasi unlimited production of YY male parent stock. Clients of this Top Breeding Center will mainly be found in Africa, but extension over time is possible.

Of the yearly turnover 25% is reinvested in the company to maintain their high quality standards but also to improve the broodstock, generation after generation. The clients get yearly improved broodstock from Bigfish’s Tilapia Improvement Program (TIP) as part of their ordering cycle.