Aquaculture & Insects

Shrimp Stunning Before Slaughter: The Welfare Science

Hundreds of billions of shrimp are killed each year with no stunning or humane slaughter consideration. Emerging science on crustacean nociception has implications for how shrimp are processed.

Key Facts

An estimated 400+ billion shrimp are farmed and killed globally each year
Common killing methods include boiling alive, freezing while conscious or live decapitation
The UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 includes decapod crustaceans
Electrical stunning of shrimp at slaughter has been demonstrated to be technically feasible
Shrimp show prolonged avoidance responses and physiological stress to noxious stimuli

Welfare Considerations

The London School of Economics Sentience review (2021) concluded there is strong evidence that decapod crustaceans including shrimp are sentient. Killing without stunning is now a welfare concern that requires attention at scale. Electrical stunning systems are being developed commercially for shrimp, and early adoption by higher-welfare producers would set a new standard for the industry.

What You Can Do

Support inclusion of shrimp in welfare certification standards requiring humane slaughter
Advocate for investment in commercial-scale shrimp stunning technology
Choose shrimp products from certified sources where welfare standards are audited
Back organisations working on invertebrate welfare scale-up
Engage with UK government Animal Sentience Committee guidance on crustacean welfare