Shrimp are the most consumed seafood globally by volume, yet their welfare in aquaculture receives almost no regulatory attention despite growing evidence of nociception and pain-like responses.
Shrimp represent the largest single category of farmed animals by individual count, with tens of billions produced annually. If shrimp possess even a modest capacity for suffering — which the neurobiological evidence increasingly suggests they may — the scale of welfare harm from practices like eyestalk ablation without analgesia, live processing, and severely overcrowded ponds is staggering. The precautionary principle strongly suggests treating shrimp as welfare-relevant animals rather than waiting for scientific certainty. Consumer pressure and supply chain engagement with producers willing to implement welfare improvements represents the most viable near-term pathway to change.