Aquatic Animals

Prawn and Shrimp Farming Welfare

Shrimp aquaculture is one of the most controversial sectors in terms of animal welfare, given the numbers involved and poor conditions.

Key Facts

Approximately 450 billion farmed shrimp are produced annually
Evidence for shrimp nociception and stress responses is growing
Eyestalk ablation (removing eyes to induce spawning) is near-universal
High density farming causes immune suppression and disease outbreaks

Welfare Considerations

Shrimp farming produces billions of animals in conditions that cause measurable stress. Eyestalk ablation — removing the eyestalk of female broodstock to induce spawning — is a crude, painful procedure with no anesthesia. High-density crowding leads to chronic stress, disease, and massive use of antibiotics. Welfare standards for shrimp are virtually non-existent.

What You Can Do

Reduce shrimp consumption given its high welfare cost
Support development of welfare standards for shrimp aquaculture
Advocate for phasing out eyestalk ablation in shrimp farming
Choose marine shrimp over farmed shrimp from high-density systems