Shrimp are slaughtered in vast numbers without stunning, but growing evidence of nociception in crustaceans is driving development of electrical and other stunning methods to improve welfare at slaughter.
The welfare status of shrimp at slaughter remains deeply uncertain but the precautionary evidence for nociception is sufficient to justify investment in humane killing methods. Given the enormous scale of shrimp production, even a small probability of meaningful suffering translates into an enormous welfare concern at the aggregate level. Electrical stunning appears the most practical near-term solution, but implementation requires producer investment and regulatory encouragement. Consumer and retailer pressure has historically been effective at driving welfare improvements in aquaculture, and the same dynamic could accelerate shrimp stunning adoption.