Research into catfish pain and nociception is building the evidence base for welfare standards in a species farmed at significant scale with limited current welfare protections.
Catfish pain science provides an increasingly clear case for welfare consideration in this widely farmed species. Multiple studies demonstrate nociception, avoidance learning, and analgesic-responsive pain behavior — the hallmarks of pain experience that have driven welfare regulation in other species. Yet catfish welfare receives almost no regulatory attention, and industry welfare standards are essentially non-existent for US channel catfish production. This represents a significant gap between welfare science and welfare practice. Supporting research, advocating for regulatory inclusion, and choosing certified sustainable products where available are the most practical actions available to consumers who care about catfish welfare.