Channel catfish is the most important US aquaculture species, produced primarily in Mississippi Delta ponds, with welfare considerations that receive little public attention.
Channel catfish welfare occupies a blind spot in US food system discourse. As the primary domestic aquaculture species, catfish are produced by the hundreds of millions in systems that have evolved for production efficiency rather than welfare. Oxygen management, harvest handling and slaughter practices all offer opportunities for welfare improvement that carry minimal cost relative to the welfare benefit. The expansion of electrical stunning at catfish processing plants, better aeration management in production ponds and handling protocols that minimise crowding and bruising are achievable improvements. Consumer awareness and certification incentives are the most tractable drivers of change in this largely unregulated sector.