Freshwater prawn farming is growing rapidly in Asia, raising welfare questions about crustacean sentience.
Freshwater prawn welfare sits at the expanding frontier of animal welfare science. The 2021 London School of Economics review that recommended including decapod crustaceans in UK animal welfare law represents a scientific consensus shift acknowledging that prawns and crabs have evidence for pain perception. Farmed freshwater prawns face crowding stress, handling stress, and slaughter methods that may cause suffering. Industry welfare standards for crustaceans are nascent but developing. The precautionary principle — given scientific uncertainty about the degree of sentience — suggests minimizing unnecessary suffering in prawn production through higher welfare slaughter methods and improved housing conditions.