Channel catfish aquaculture in the US is improving welfare standards through better management, stunning technology adoption, and market-driven welfare requirements.
US catfish welfare improvement represents a case study in market-driven welfare progress. Retailer inquiries about welfare practices, combined with growing consumer interest in fish welfare and improving evidence about fish sentience, have driven voluntary welfare improvements ahead of regulatory requirements. Electrical stunning adoption before slaughter represents a significant welfare advance eliminating the suffering of conscious processing. Harvest practices including pond draining and crowding remain welfare challenges but are increasingly being addressed through welfare guidelines. Research into channel catfish pain physiology and behavioural responses supports science-based welfare standard development. The US catfish industry's welfare trajectory demonstrates how consumer and retailer pressure translates into practice change.