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Catfish

Catfish

Catfish

At a glance

	Eco-rating	Mercury	Omega-3s
+-Catfish (U.S.)	Best	Low
MORE ABOUT U.S. CATFISH The wild channel catfish resides in freshwater rivers and streams in North America and feeds on other small fish, insects and mollusks. Catfish sold in markets are usually farm-raised in ponds in the southeastern United States. A wild catfish can grow up to 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) in length and live up to 16 years. Commercial Sources Channel catfish are native to the rivers of central North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. However, they have been introduced into Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. The main source of channel catfish is the United States. Note: Vietnam is another important source of catfish for the United States. However, Vietnamese catfish are a different species. Capture Methods Channel catfish come from fish farms where they are raised in ponds.
+-Basa	OK	Low
MORE ABOUT BASA Basa are a species of freshwater catfish native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins of southeast Asia. They are in the family Pangasiidae, or shark catfishes. Commercial Sources Basa are raised in Vietnam. The U.S. is importing an increasing amount of basa, as a less expensive alternative to channel catfish. Capture Methods Most basa are grown in cages suspended under barges in the Mekong River. Basa are also grown in earthen ponds.
+-Tra	OK	Low
MORE ABOUT TRA Tra are a species of freshwater catfish native to large rivers in southeast Asia. They are in the family Pangasiidae, or shark catfishes. Tra are omnivorous and can grow to be 4 1/2 feet (1.4 meters) long. Commercial Sources The two main producers of tra are Vietnam and Thailand. Tra, formerly marketed as catfish, often goes by the market name basa in the United States. Capture Methods Most tra are grown in cages suspended under barges in the Mekong River in Vietnam. Tra are also grown in earthen ponds.
+-Pangasius (Farmed, Vietnam)	Worst	Unknown
<h3>MORE ABOUT PANGASIUS</h3> <p>Sutchi Catfish, aka Pangasius, raised in pond systems in Vietnam is a “worst” choice due to dumping of sludge from pond systems, contributing to cumulative level effluent impacts, and high use of antibiotics during production.</p>

Recommended servings per month

	Contaminant	Men	Women	Kids 6-12	Kids 0-5
Catfish (U.S.)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Basa	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Tra	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Pangasius (Farmed, Vietnam)	Unknown

Eco details:

Native to the Southeast U.S., channel catfish are the most commonly farmed fish in the U.S., accounting for two-thirds of U.S. aquaculture in 2003.
They are raised in an eco-friendly way in ponds on converted agricultural land.
Basa and Tra, species not closely related to channel catfish, are being imported in increasing quantities from Vietnam, Thailand and China, where there is little government regulation of farming operations.