The giant freshwater prawn is an important aquaculture species across South and Southeast Asia, and improving welfare during production and slaughter is an emerging focus.
Welfare concerns include aggressive dominance interactions causing injury to subordinate males in high-density systems, handling stress during sorting and grading, transport mortality, and inhumane slaughter by boiling alive. Evidence for pain and stress responses in prawns is accumulating and supports application of the precautionary principle to their welfare. Cold stunning before slaughter reduces apparent suffering.