Tilapia exporters in China are eyeing the European market as it seeks alternatives to high-priced cod, with some warning against presenting it solely as a “cheap alternative” to wild-caught whitefish.
Tilapia exporters told SeafoodSource they have seen an uptick in inquiries from European buyers in recent months. Cod quotas for major fisheries like the Barents and North seas have left prices high and supplies low.
“We have definitely noticed more inquiries recently, including from some markets that normally are not very active for tilapia,” Josephine Wang, head of international markets at Hainan Golden Spring Foods Co Ltd., told SeafoodSource. “People are talking much more about tilapia as an alternative whitefish now, especially with cod prices staying high and supply being tight.”
David Jiang, managing director at Unibond Seafood International Ltd, which sources seafood in China for European customers, said he believes the arrival of farmed alternatives to cod is a trend that is gathering momentum. Tilapia and other whitefish like pangasius, pollock, and hake are already taking shares of the cod market, Jiang told SeafoodSource.
“This is developing since last year, and we will see more changes in the coming years,” Jiang said.
He said the reduction in cod quota to historically low levels and increase in price to its historically highest level “is not sustainable” for the market.
While demand is up, tilapia exporters said they are wary of how tilapia is being presented as an alternative to cod. Wang told SeafoodSource she is worried that there could be a backlash to any silent replacement of traditional whitefish like cod with tilapia or whitefish, which could more than offset the benefits tilapia gains from the demand.
“I saw the reports about some U.K. restaurants using pangasius instead of cod without clearly informing consumers. Even though this may help lower costs, situations like this can unfortunately create a negative impression for farm-raised freshwater fish,” she said. “It’s already not easy for these products to gain wider acceptance in some E.U. markets, so using them as an unspoken replacement [for cod] is probably not the best way to introduce them.”
Wang said she also sees the relative stability of the tilapia supply as a strong positive in its potential to serve as an alternative to traditional whitefish.
“Overall, I do think the current situation is creating a good opportunity for people to learn more about tilapia. Stable supply, more affordable pricing, and sustainability are all becoming more important now, especially with the uncertainty around the global economy and geopolitical tensions,” she said.
Sara Shi, head of sales at Dalian Rich, which processes and exports for European clients, said she has seen her clients search for cod replacements since early 2025 and believes European retailers may launch new product lines rather than necessarily replacing traditional whitefish like cod with tilapia.
“It is not easy to replace a cod or haddock product with tilapia in foodservice,” she said. “However, it is possible that on the retail side the high cost will force end consumers to move to tilapia or pangasius. Based on this difficult situation some importers are lining up items to get another business line.”
Shi said some companies have been trying to find replacements for cod and haddock since 2025, driving up costs for other species as well.
"That is the main reason for Pacific cod prices to increase in the same way,” she said. “Alaska pollock prices have also increased by 40 percent this season.”
Dalian Rich’s orders for traditional cod and pollock products are down due to higher prices and lower supply, but the company has looked to farmed fish to fill the gap.
“We’re a diversified company in products and market; we balance wild fish and farmed fish,” Shi said.
An executive at a major tilapia exporter in southern China said while they attended Seafood Expo Global, which ran from 21 to 23 April in Barcelona, he met quite a few European customers who were actively looking at tilapia.
“The interest was not only general discussion. Some customers were seriously reviewing tilapia as a practical alternative to other wild-caught whitefish, especially for foodservice and restaurant channels,” the executive said. “I have also seen this turn into real business. Recently, our team successfully developed a new U.K. customer who chose our tilapia products as an alternative to other wild-caught whitefish. Their main focus is the foodservice market.”
The executive said buyers seeking a stable, affordable, and workable whitefish option are turning to tilapia in areas where it makes sense.
“Tilapia may not replace cod in every application, but for many foodservice items, especially where the product is breaded, seasoned, portioned, or used in prepared dishes, tilapia can be a very suitable option,” they said.
The executive told SeafoodSource that at Seafood Expo Global he noticed strong interest in value-added tilapia products, such as breaded and seasoned fillets.
The executive said they believe China has key advantages such as a reputation for consistency.
“Compared with some other origins, customers still recognize China-origin tilapia for its stable appearance, texture, and processing capability,” they said.
Considering China produced nearly two million metric tons (MT) of tilapia in 2025, its sales to Europe remain modest. Europe imported 41,600 MT of the product in 2024, largely through Dutch importers with France, Spain and the U.K. serving as the largest consumers with China supplying 70 percent of that total.
Tilapia still lags behind other “value” farmed whitefish species, and imports of tilapia are half that of pangasius imports into the E.U.
Wang said she thinks tilapia will have some time to wait before it emerges as a significant alternative to cod.
“In Europe and the UK, consumers are very used to cod and haddock, especially for traditional products like fish and chips,” Wang said. “Yes, we are seeing more interest and more discussions around tilapia, but whether this will become a major long-term replacement for cod, I think it is still too early to say.”
Some Chinese tilapia producers have already been preparing for anticipated demand from falling cod stocks. Oliver Nikolovski, head of China-based sourcing firm Ocean Treasure, pointed to a larger 1.5 kilogram tilapia filet that was developed by Chinese tilapia producers which he said is “ideal for thick battering and layered frying.”
First however, tilapia will need to be repositioned in the U.K. market, where it’s a “low to mid-tier fish” and suffers “a weak association with fish and chips.”
However, if even a small share of whitefish consumption shifts towards farmed alternatives like tilapia Chinese tilapia suppliers will do well, Nikolovski said.
