Aquaculture

Farmed Shrimp Welfare: An Overlooked Issue

Shrimp aquaculture produces over 5 million tonnes annually, with welfare conditions that receive far less scrutiny than land animal farming.

Key Facts

Global shrimp aquaculture killed approximately 440 billion individual animals in 2020
Stocking densities in intensive ponds can reach 200 animals per square metre
Eyestalk ablation — removing the eyestalk of broodstock females — is routine in hatcheries
Growing evidence suggests decapod crustaceans including shrimp are sentient
The Shrimp Welfare Project advocates for improved conditions across the supply chain

Welfare Considerations

Eyestalk ablation, which removes neurological tissue in order to induce ovulation, is almost certainly painful and performed without anaesthesia on billions of female shrimp annually. Poor water quality in intensive ponds causes physiological stress measured through cortisol equivalents. If shrimp are sentient, the scale of suffering in this sector is comparable to some of the largest animal welfare issues in existence.

What You Can Do

Support the Shrimp Welfare Project and similar organisations
Ask retailers about their shrimp welfare standards and sourcing
Reduce consumption of farmed shrimp given current welfare standards
Advocate for decapod crustaceans to be covered by welfare legislation
Back research into humane alternatives to eyestalk ablation