The US catfish industry is one of the country's largest aquaculture sectors. Welfare standards have improved in some areas but significant gaps remain.
Channel catfish in US farm ponds face welfare challenges from high stocking densities, summer oxygen crashes, and variable water quality. Acute oxygen depletion events cause thousands of fish to gasp at the surface for hours before death, representing significant suffering at scale. Processing welfare has improved at facilities using electrical stunning, but regulatory requirements are inconsistent across the industry. Disease management through antibiotic use reflects the chronic stress of intensive production. The USDA inspection program focuses primarily on food safety rather than animal welfare, leaving a significant regulatory gap.