Pangasius (basa or swai catfish) is widely consumed in the UK as a cheap white fish. Farmed in intensive ponds in Vietnam and Bangladesh, its welfare has received limited attention compared to Atlantic salmon.
Pangasius welfare in intensive Vietnamese pond culture faces challenges similar to other high-density aquaculture systems: overcrowding causing physical injury and stress, water quality deterioration from waste accumulation, and disease management primarily through antibiotic rather than preventive approaches. Unlike Atlantic salmon, pangasius welfare has received little academic attention — welfare indicator research is limited. The species' tolerance of low oxygen masks conditions that would be immediately recognisable as welfare failures in salmonid culture. ASC certification provides a baseline standard but welfare requirements within the scheme are less developed than for salmon. Consumer awareness of pangasius welfare is very low — most purchasers are unaware of where or how it is produced.