Thailand is a major producer of black tiger shrimp with welfare concerns over broodstock management, disease, and processing practices in intensive systems.
Black tiger shrimp welfare in Thai aquaculture includes the same concerns common to shrimp production globally: eyestalk ablation, crowding stress, disease pressure, and harvest welfare. Black tiger shrimp are larger than vannamei and the welfare implications of eyestalk ablation — removing an important sensory and hormonal organ without anaesthesia — are potentially more significant given the greater tissue damage involved in larger animals. Disease outbreaks including EMS have caused mass mortality events with welfare implications for surviving fish. Thai aquaculture reforms driven by export market requirements, including from the EU and US, have produced measurable improvements in some welfare-relevant practices. Certification scheme adoption remains the primary driver of welfare improvement.