To help alleviate the animal protein shortage in northeast Brazil, the National Department of Works Against Drought (DNOCS) is conducting research in intensive fish culture to find fishes suitable for culture, and to develop improved methods for their culture in the northeast. Research has demonstrated that the all male tilapia hybrid of male Tilapia hornorum X female T. nilotica possesses many characteristics of a good culture fish. An economic evaluation of the tilapia hybrid under commercial conditions within DNOCS "colonization" programs on irrigated agricultural land indicated that annual net profit/ha should reach B.Cr. 4 668 (U.S.$ 1.00 - B.Cr. 6.4) with an annual rate of return before taxes of 27 percent on a total investment of B.Cr. 16 885. In addition, the average farmer should enjoy B.Cr. 312 in added family labor income and B.Cr. 800 in capital gain from increased equity in land.