Channel catfish is the most farmed fish species in the US. Welfare conditions in catfish pond systems vary significantly and deserve greater scientific attention.
Channel catfish aquaculture operates largely below the radar of welfare discussions focused on salmon and trout. Yet these are sentient fish produced at enormous scale in conditions that have received minimal welfare scrutiny. Pond systems with variable oxygen levels, high stocking densities during harvest crowding, and electrofishing or seining harvest methods all have welfare implications that deserve investigation. The absence of welfare research is not evidence of welfare adequacy - it reflects the historical invisibility of catfish welfare as a priority.