Status, trends, and prospects of the channel catfish industry in China and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic

ABSTRACT

In 1984, the Fisheries Research Institute of Hubei Province first introduced channel catfish from the US to China. Since then, the production of China's channel catfish has undergone volatile changes. In 2003, as a substitute for Pangasius fillets from Vietnam, the export volume of channel catfish-processed products increased considerably. In recent years, the Chinese channel catfish industry has shifted from dependence on American and European markets to dominance in Chinese markets. It is expected that the continuing impact of the Covid-19 epidemic in China and the development of the global pandemic will significantly affect the channel catfish farming sector in China. This paper outlines China's channel catfish industry's development, markets, costs, and benefits and provides some suggestions for its development.