Ecuador is South America's largest shrimp exporter, with Litopenaeus vannamei production facing welfare challenges in semi-intensive and intensive pond systems supplying global markets.
Pacific white shrimp welfare in Ecuadorian systems faces similar challenges to other major shrimp producers — disease-related mass mortality, crowding stress in high-density ponds, and harvest practices that cause air exposure and mechanical injury. White spot virus causes acute haemolymph disruption and death over several days in affected ponds, representing significant suffering at scale. Biosecurity measures that prevent disease introduction are simultaneously the most important production and welfare interventions. Adoption of rapid chilling before ice storage at harvest would substantially reduce suffering duration compared to prolonged air exposure.