Certification schemes for whiteleg shrimp provide market mechanisms for improving welfare standards in one of the world's most produced aquaculture species.
Certification schemes provide the principal market mechanism for improving whiteleg shrimp welfare at scale. ASC requires farms to demonstrate compliance with welfare-relevant standards including stocking density, water quality monitoring, and responsible chemical use. BAP similarly addresses welfare through its four-star certification programme. Consumer choice of certified products creates tangible market incentives for welfare improvement across millions of tonnes of production. The welfare significance of individual shrimp multiplied by production volumes makes small percentage improvements enormously impactful.