Catfish are among the most important farmed fish species globally; their welfare needs in aquaculture settings are increasingly understood and driving production improvements.
Catfish welfare in pond aquaculture faces challenges typical of outdoor production: water quality fluctuations, thermal stress in summer, disease outbreaks, and harvest crowding. Dissolved oxygen management is critical — catfish experience significant physiological stress when oxygen levels drop, which commonly occurs in warm months. Harvest crowding before transport and slaughter creates acute stress. Electric stunning systems used in processing dramatically improve pre-slaughter welfare — rendering fish insensible within seconds before gutting. Industry adoption of stunning has been driven partly by regulatory interest and partly by evidence that stunned fish have better flesh quality (less cortisol-induced stress myopathy). The welfare and economic cases for stunning align well.