Tilapia: Escape
Risk of Tilapia escaping
The risk of tilapia escaping to the environment is difficult to evalute. Tilapia are a warmwater fish that will not likely survive winter water temperatures in most locations in Mississippi. However, in locations where warm water is discharged to streams and rivers, tilapia may be able to find a temporary thermal refuge. In Alabama, where tilapia have been cultured since the 1960s, no evidence of displacement of native species has been recorded.
