Channel catfish are the most farmed fish in the United States, yet their welfare in production systems receives minimal attention despite evidence of their sentience.
Channel catfish are a species whose welfare has been largely invisible in both regulatory and consumer attention. They are not charismatic animals, and the catfish farming industry has not faced the scrutiny applied to salmon or shrimp. Yet the evidence base for catfish sentience — their ability to experience pain and stress — is comparable to that for other farmed fish species. Oxygen depletion events in warm-season ponds represent acute welfare crises affecting large numbers of individuals simultaneously; dissolved oxygen monitoring and emergency aeration are welfare interventions that also protect economic output. Pre-slaughter welfare standards for catfish are less developed than for salmonids, representing an area where welfare improvement is both needed and achievable.