History of Tilapia

Pharaoh’s Endorsement....

Farming tilapia in Lake Kariba is a natural development for the fish and for the area.  The fish, being native to Africa, has also known the process of farming for thousands of years.  The ancient Egyptians farmed the fish in ponds along the Nile as shown by a bas-relief found in a 4,000 year old Egyptian tomb.  The tilapia – named in.t by the ancient Egyptians – was a symbol of fertility and was of great importance (it was even given its own hieroglyph).

Tilapia also appears in Christian mythology as St Peter’s fish since it is thought to be the fish that the apostle caught in the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 17:27).  According to legend, the dark spots on the fish were caused by the fingerprints of St Peter.  Tilapia has been fished by local fisherman in the Sea of Galilee (another freshwater lake) for thousands of years.

The Greek were also tilapia fans and Aristotle is believed to have named it Tilapia Niloticus – Fish of the Nile in 300 BC.