Abstract
Aquaculture plays a vital role in ensuring food security and economic development in Bangladesh, where catfish farming contributes significantly to both nutrition and livelihoods. However, the sector faces persistent challenges, including slow growth rates, high disease susceptibility, and unreliable reproduction, particularly in indigenous species such as pabda, shing, and magur. Conventional selective breeding approaches have proven insufficient to address these constraints efficiently. In this context, genome editing technologies, especially CRISPR/Cas9, offer a transformative solution for accelerating genetic improvement in catfish aquaculture. This review synthesizes current advancements and applications of genome editing tools, including Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9, with a focus on their roles in enhancing growth performance, improving disease resistance, and enabling reproductive control. Targeted modification of genes such as myostatin (MSTN) and MC4R has demonstrated significant potential for improving growth traits, while editing immune-related genes can reduce mortality caused by pathogenic infections. Furthermore, genome editing offers innovative strategies for addressing breeding challenges, including sterility induction and improved hatchery success. Despite its promise, the adoption of genome editing in Bangladesh is constrained by technical limitations, lack of regulatory frameworks, high costs, and socio-ethical concerns. Addressing these barriers requires strategic investment in research infrastructure, capacity building, and policy development. Overall, genome editing holds considerable potential to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience in the Bangladeshi catfish aquaculture sector, provided that scientific, regulatory, and societal challenges are effectively managed.