Arctic shrimp is a major commercial species harvested by bottom trawl in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, with welfare considerations relevant to its capture and processing.
Arctic shrimp experience decompression stress during rapid ascent from depth, physical trauma in the trawl, crowding and eventual death by boiling. Evidence for crustacean pain capacity is accumulating and supports precautionary welfare consideration. Rapid chilling methods before boiling have been explored as a welfare improvement. The very large quantities harvested make welfare improvements to individual shrimp significant at population scale.