Fresh: We harvest our fish on a regular schedule, so the consumer can always know they are getting the freshest fish possible. By contrast, ocean-caught fish may stay in the boat on ice for several days before transferring to the dock, followed by distributors, and finally the sales counter. There is no way of knowing how old an ocean-caught fish is, unless you catch it yourself.

Pollution-free fish: A major drawback of ocean-caught fish is that because the environment is not fully controlled, the fish can be exposed to pollution such as mercury or other heavy metals. There is no practical way to know where an ocean-caught fish has been swimming, or what it has been eating. Fingerlakes tilapia are grown under quality controlled parameters, with no unknowns entering the system.

Disease-free: When an ocean-caught fish is harvested, there is no way to know whether it is healthy or diseased. Fingerlakes tilapia are monitored throughout their life cycle, and there is almost no potential for disease.