Welfare considerations in catfish farming including water quality, stocking density, and slaughter method for this widely produced species.
Catfish aquaculture produces enormous quantities of protein at relatively low environmental cost, but welfare management varies enormously between operations. The welfare challenges of water quality maintenance, appropriate stocking density, and humane slaughter are practical and addressable with appropriate investment in management skill and infrastructure. Pangasius in particular - farmed in massive quantities in Vietnam and exported globally - faces welfare scrutiny due to the rapid expansion of production without commensurate welfare standards development. Consumer preference for certified welfare-standard catfish and pangasius would create market incentives for welfare improvement that regulatory pressure alone has not achieved.