The world's largest single producer of tilapia, Regal Springs was started in 1988 by Swiss entrepreneur Rudi Lamprecht.  A tall, globe-trotting native of Switzerland, Lamprecht had been working in Indonesia on a United Nations aid program in western Java, when he decided that farming tilapia in cages would be a good way to create both local jobs and a viable business. This eventually led him to Central America. 

When Regal Springs developed its fish farms in Honduras it had to overcome some initial challenges, including Hurricane Mitch which set the country back decades. Despite these setbacks, Regal's Honduras operation has grown to become the largest single tilapia farm in the Western Hemisphere. Even though it harvests more than 15,000 metric tons of tilapia a year in Honduras, the driving philosophy at Regal is that the company is not only about fish - it's about people. To ensure its employees improve their living standards, the company has built or funded medical clinics, schools and housing (Regal funds 84 schools). It also has taught local farmers how to grow fish and much of its production comes from farmers who grow out fish from fingerlings provided by Regal Springs.  

On the sustainability front, Regal actively pursues a variety of innovative initiatives. The company has a "Fish for Trees" initiative that educates the local populace to stop cutting trees and grow fish instead, an innovative effort to reverse chronic deforestation. And the company runs all its vehicles on biodiesel it makes from converting its fish trimmings into fish oil. Regal has also begun shipping its fresh fillets to Florida by ocean freight instead of airfreight, reducing its carbon footprint significantly.

Regal Springs' management team has been active in helping conservation groups set standards for sustainable tilapia farming. The company was an active participant, for example, in the Tilapia Aquaculture Dialogs held by the World Wildlife Federation.  These efforts are leading to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) label for farmed seafood in 2011.

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