Welfare improvement in pangasius catfish production requires targeted interventions in stocking density, water quality, and slaughter practices.
Pangasius welfare improvement requires engagement with the specific production context of Vietnamese and Asian farming systems where the majority of global production occurs. High stocking densities that exceed welfare-optimal levels are economically driven but create chronic stress and disease pressure. Water quality management in tropical conditions where organic loading is high requires active management of dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and pH. Slaughter welfare has received increasing attention following documentation of practices inconsistent with minimizing suffering. Certification schemes that require welfare improvements, combined with consumer demand for certified products, create the market incentives that drive improvement in this important global aquaculture sector.