Prawns and shrimps are farmed in enormous numbers with minimal welfare consideration. Growing evidence of nociception and stress responses raises urgent questions about current farming and slaughter practices.
Prawn welfare occupies a challenging position in animal welfare ethics: the evidence for sentience is suggestive but not as strong as for vertebrates, yet the sheer numbers farmed mean that even modest improvements in welfare — if prawns do experience suffering — would be among the most impactful interventions available. The precautionary case for improving prawn welfare is strong. Eyestalk ablation is perhaps the clearest welfare problem: removing the eyestalks of broodstock females to induce spawning causes demonstrable tissue damage, stress responses, and likely significant pain. Current slaughter practice — primarily live chilling in ice water or boiling — has received almost no welfare scrutiny. The Shrimp Welfare Project is working with producers to trial rapid chilling followed by electrical stunning before further processing, which appears to reduce suffering. Certification schemes are beginning to incorporate prawn welfare criteria.