Pangasius catfish farming is one of the world's largest aquaculture industries. Understanding welfare in this sector is important for billions of fish and millions of tonnes of seafood.
Pangasius welfare is a large-scale issue receiving less attention than salmon or sea bass despite the enormous volume of production. At densities of 60-80 kg/m2, individual fish have minimal space and chronic crowding stress is essentially guaranteed. Water quality management at these densities is challenging — periods of poor water quality likely cause respiratory stress and immune suppression. Slaughter without stunning means billions of fish annually experience what the physiological evidence suggests is a painful death through suffocation. The export orientation of Vietnamese pangasius production means that European consumer choices have real leverage over production practices — previous campaigns drove significant environmental improvements that demonstrate the effectiveness of market pressure.