Kuruma shrimp is a high-value traditional aquaculture species in Japan with welfare considerations for intensive pond and tank culture systems.
Kuruma shrimp welfare in intensive Japanese aquaculture includes the same considerations common to crustacean production globally. Growing evidence for decapod crustacean sentience makes the welfare of these animals increasingly morally relevant. Intensive tank culture at high stocking densities may cause chronic social stress. Disease outbreaks causing mass mortality represent both production and welfare failures. The live shrimp trade, valued in traditional Japanese cuisine, involves extended holding in tanks that may cause welfare compromise through inadequate environmental conditions. Japan's progressive stance on marine environmental management suggests potential for welfare-positive aquaculture development as regulatory frameworks evolve.