Eyestalk ablation — removing one eye from female broodstock prawns to induce spawning — is a routine but welfare-compromising practice. Reform is needed given growing evidence of crustacean sentience.
Eyestalk ablation is among the most widely condemned practices in invertebrate aquaculture on welfare grounds. The procedure involves unilateral crushing or cauterizing of the eyestalk without anesthesia, causing direct tissue damage and loss of the eye. Given the nociceptive capacity demonstrated in crustaceans and the growing body of evidence for crustacean sentience, this procedure is increasingly indefensible. The economic rationale — improved reproductive efficiency — has driven universal adoption despite welfare concerns. Alternative approaches including genetic selection for faster maturation, environmental conditioning, and hormone treatment are being researched. Some certification schemes are beginning to address eyestalk ablation, with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council developing guidance.