Shrimp are among the most widely consumed seafood globally, and farmed shrimp face welfare challenges at enormous scale with minimal oversight.
Shrimp welfare occupies contested scientific territory, but research increasingly suggests crustaceans have nociceptive capacity and may experience pain-like states. Eyestalk ablation, removing the eyestalk of female shrimp to induce spawning, causes obvious behavioral distress. Crowded pond conditions cause oxygen stress, disease, and injury. Given that billions of shrimp are raised and killed annually, even a small probability of sentience has enormous aggregate welfare implications. The Shrimp Welfare Project is a specialized organization working specifically on this neglected issue, including working with producers on more humane practices.