Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) and other diseases cause mass mortality in farmed shrimp operations. Disease prevention and management have major implications for both welfare and industry sustainability.
Disease-related suffering in farmed shrimp represents a welfare concern that operates at enormous scale. Mass mortality events from EMS, White Spot, and other pathogens cause widespread suffering before death. The degree of suffering experienced by shrimp during systemic disease involves tissue destruction and immune responses — the welfare implications depend on the degree of shrimp sentience, which remains scientifically uncertain but is increasingly taken seriously. Disease prevention strategies including reduced stocking densities, improved biosecurity, and probiotic water management reduce disease burden and associated suffering. Antibiotic overuse in disease management raises welfare concerns through antimicrobial resistance risks and potential direct toxicity to shrimp.