Catfish are among the most widely farmed fish globally, with massive production in the US, Vietnam, and Asia. Their welfare in aquaculture has received increasing attention as evidence of fish sentience has grown.
Catfish welfare in aquaculture is shaped by the same challenges as other farmed fish: high stocking densities, water quality management, disease control, and humane slaughter. Catfish are notably hardy compared to some farmed species, but hardiness does not equal insensitivity to suffering. Their remarkable sensory abilities mean they are acutely aware of environmental conditions including poor water quality, excessive crowding, and handling stress. Welfare improvements include density limits based on behavioral indicators rather than just survival, water quality standards that go beyond minimum survival thresholds, and mandatory pre-slaughter stunning. The scale of catfish farming — hundreds of millions of individuals — means even small per-animal welfare improvements have large aggregate impact.