Vietnam's pangasius industry produces millions of tonnes of catfish annually for export, with welfare concerns around stocking density, water quality, and slaughter practices in this major global fishery.
Pangasius aquaculture operates at scales where welfare improvements would benefit enormous numbers of fish. The species' tolerance for poor water quality has been used to justify intensive stocking densities that cause chronic crowding stress. Pre-slaughter welfare including effective stunning is poorly standardized across the Vietnamese industry. As the world's dominant pangasius producer, Vietnam's industry practices affect the welfare of a significant fraction of all farmed fish globally. Import market requirements from the EU and USA create leverage for welfare standard improvements that have driven food safety advances and could similarly drive welfare progress.