Channel catfish is the most farmed fish in the United States, with welfare considerations including stocking density, water quality and slaughter method.
Channel catfish welfare has received limited regulatory attention relative to the scale of production. Pond culture at high densities creates chronic low-level stress through competition and water quality fluctuations. Harvest involves large-scale crowding using seine nets causing extreme crowding stress before slaughter. Slaughter methods vary and few have been validated for humaneness in catfish specifically. As one of the most numerous farmed fish species in North America, improvements in catfish welfare standards would benefit millions of individuals annually.