India is a major producer of freshwater prawns for export, with welfare challenges throughout the production cycle including crowding stress, disease management, and harvest methods.
Freshwater prawn welfare in Indian aquaculture is affected by stocking density, water quality, and harvest methods. Aggressive intraspecific interactions among male prawns cause injury and stress in high-density conditions. Harvest involves draining ponds and crowding prawns into small collection areas, causing mechanical injury, oxygen depletion, and acute stress. Live transport and holding practices extend welfare impacts beyond the farm gate. Adoption of welfare-positive stocking densities, staged harvest methods, and rapid chilling at slaughter would substantially reduce welfare harm across this production system.