Catfish are widely farmed across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, yet welfare standards in catfish production remain largely undeveloped.
Catfish welfare has received far less attention than salmon or trout despite their massive production volumes. Their ability to tolerate hypoxic conditions has contributed to the assumption that catfish are robust and resilient, but tolerance does not equal thriving — overcrowded catfish in low-oxygen ponds are chronically stressed even when they survive. Harvest practices including prolonged crowding and seine netting cause significant acute welfare costs that are reducible with improved techniques. Electric stunning before slaughter is both feasible and increasingly economically competitive. Consumer awareness and retailer engagement can drive welfare standards improvement in this underregulated sector.