Disease is the leading cause of farmed shrimp mortality worldwide, and the conditions driving disease are the same conditions that compromise shrimp welfare.
Farmed shrimp disease epidemics cause mass mortality events in which billions of animals die from disease processes that involve suffering. The conditions driving disease — overcrowding, poor water quality, chronic stress — are the same conditions that compromise welfare throughout the production cycle. Disease prevention through welfare improvement is simultaneously the most humane and economically sound approach to shrimp production. Biosecurity, appropriate stocking density and water quality management prevent disease while improving individual shrimp welfare throughout their lives. The commercial and welfare incentives for disease prevention are uniquely aligned in shrimp aquaculture.