Shrimp farming produces over 5 million tonnes annually and is among the fastest-growing food production sectors globally. Evidence on shrimp sentience and welfare is growing, yet production conditions often impose severe welfare costs.
Shrimp welfare sits at the intersection of emerging science and large-scale industry. The evidence for decapod sentience is strong enough to warrant genuine welfare concern, yet shrimp are produced in volumes exceeding any other farmed aquatic species and with minimal welfare consideration in most production systems. Eyestalk ablation is a routine practice despite causing obvious acute pain and long-term disability, justified purely by economic convenience. High stocking densities cause chronic stress and increased pathogen transmission. Slaughter by chilling in ice slurry may not cause rapid unconsciousness in shrimp. The scale of potential welfare improvement is enormous — modest changes to the most common practices could reduce suffering for billions of individuals annually. Consumer and retailer pressure is beginning to drive industry change.