Asian intensive shrimp farming raises welfare concerns about stocking density, eyestalk ablation, disease stress, and slaughter methods for billions of animals annually.
Eyestalk ablation removes the sinus gland controlling reproduction hormones, disrupting physiology severely. High stocking densities prevent expression of natural behaviors. Chilling on ice causes gradual sensory suppression that may involve prolonged discomfort before insensibility. Disease outbreaks cause mass suffering across entire farms. Shrimp Welfare Project is developing welfare indicators and alternatives to ablation.