Scientific evidence increasingly supports the capacity of shrimp and other crustaceans to experience pain and suffering, with major implications for the aquaculture industry producing billions annually.
Shrimp welfare represents one of the most consequential frontiers in animal welfare because of the enormous scale of shrimp farming and fishing. If shrimp experience pain — as growing evidence suggests — then current practices including eyestalk ablation, live boiling, and extended air exposure may cause suffering to enormous numbers of animals. The Shrimp Welfare Project and similar organizations are working to develop and promote more humane handling and slaughter methods. Industry uptake is slow given cost pressures, but some producers are beginning to adopt ice slurry rapid chilling and controlled atmosphere methods that may be more humane.