Don't Be Fooled: Avoid Buying This Cheap Fish At All Costs - Tasting Table

"The fish can't legally be called catfish in America because that title is reserved for domestic catfish, so it is usually sold as basa, swai, pangasius, and tra. It has been illegally substituted for at least 18 other fish worldwide, according to research by Oceana. Investigative researchers found the fish, which is actually called pangasius, being sold as much higher-value fish such as perch, grouper, sole, and halibut."

"Seafood Watch, a program that monitors and evaluates seafood available in the United States, ranks Vietnamese farmed catfish very poorly because of its low effluent score and high chemical use involved in its farming. Effluent refers to the environmental impact caused by sludge dumped from fish farms into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Because the industry is so large and there are reports of illegal dumping, this effluent is a serious environmental danger."

Vietnamese pangasius is often sold under names such as basa, swai, pangasius, and tra, and has been illegally substituted for higher-value fish like perch, grouper, sole, and halibut. Seafood Watch ranks Vietnamese-farmed pangasius poorly due to low effluent scores and heavy chemical use in farming. Effluent refers to sludge from fish farms dumped into rivers, lakes, and oceans, and illegal dumping magnifies environmental harm. Chemical use includes heavy applications and antibiotics that can affect human health. Farming practices, not the species itself, drive sustainability concerns. Consumers should avoid pangasius unless it carries credible sustainability certification.

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