Intensive prawn farming causes significant animal welfare and environmental problems. Sustainable alternatives and welfare reforms offer a path toward more ethical production.
Intensive prawn farming creates welfare problems including extreme crowding, disease outbreaks, and painful practices like eyestalk ablation. Prawns show nociceptive responses and behavioral changes under aversive conditions, suggesting capacity for suffering. Eyestalk ablation, practiced to accelerate breeding in females, is a significant welfare concern. Alternative breeding programs using broodstock selection avoid this practice. Reducing consumption and choosing certified sustainable products supports welfare improvements.