Catfish Comparison: Farm-Raised vs. Wild Catfish

Farm-Raised Catfish vs. Wild Catfish

When a person is considered enjoying a mouth-watering fillet of catfish for dinner, they are often faced with two choices at the supermarket: farm-raised catfish or wild catfish. While this might not seem like a drastic difference, there are plenty of benefits and downfalls of both that a person needs to consider when they decide what to put in their bodies.

Wild Catfish Might Contain Chemicals from Industrial Pollution

Wild catfish are usually healthy to eat, but if they have been in waters that are pumped full of chemicals, there is a good chance that the person eating them is consuming a small portion of those chemicals as well. When a person opts for farm-raised catfish, the chance of ingesting unknown chemicals is significantly lower. Most consumers are not worried about fish containing mercury when they are farm-raised fish.

Wild Catfish Have Less Saturated Fat

Wild catfish, in general, have less saturated fat than those that are farm-raised. Most believe that this is because they have a natural diet. Not only do they have a natural diet, but wild catfish also have a more diverse diet. This helps them naturally maintain their health.

Wild catfish also get more exercise than farm-raised catfish. These fish spend hours and hours swimming to find food and get some exercise. This helps them be leaner, which makes their meat a bit leaner when compared to farm-raised catfish.

Wild Caught Seafood is More Expensive

In most places, wild-caught seafood will have a higher price tag than farm-raised seafood. This is because fishermen tend to put more work and time into catching those catfish when compared to someone that harvests them from their own personal lake or aquariums.

When one considers the costs, it makes sense. Granted, a person has to pay for fish food, etc. when they choose to farm their own catfish. Usually, they do not have to pay for the more expensive things, such as extra bait because of bait stealing fish, a boat or hours upon hours spent catching the fish.

Farm-Raised Fish Might Contain Antibiotics

When a farmer has poor farm conditions, his fish are more likely to get sick. Because of this, fish might be given antibiotics to restore their health. They may also receive antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick. When these fish still have antibiotics in their system when they are killed and sold, the person that consumes them will likely be ingesting those same antibiotics.

When a person considers whether they would like to consume farm-raised catfish or wild-caught catfish, it is important to consider both the risks and the costs. Wild-caught catfish are generally more expensive, but these fish are also known to be healthier. On the other hand, a person will not put their own health at risk when they consume farm-raised catfish occasionally and opt for a farm that does not use antibiotics in their fish. Those that consume catfish on a regular basis are encouraged to opt for wild-caught catfish to maintain their own health.