How biofloc technology (BFT) improves shrimp aquaculture welfare through water quality management, and the evidence for BFT as a welfare-positive production system.
Biofloc technology represents one of the most promising welfare-positive production systems available in shrimp aquaculture. The simultaneous improvement in water quality, disease resistance, and provision of natural feeding behavior creates conditions that are meaningfully better for shrimp than conventional clear-water intensive culture. The lower nitrogen levels that BFT maintains are directly welfare-positive through reduced gill damage and chronic stress from ammonia exposure. The engagement of natural filter-feeding behavior — shrimp consuming biofloc particles — provides behavioral enrichment absent in conventional systems. BFT demonstrates that production efficiency and welfare improvement are not inherently in conflict — the technology serves both goals simultaneously.