Selective breeding in farmed shrimp species is reshaping production efficiency and potentially welfare outcomes through selection for disease resistance, growth, and stress tolerance.
Genetics shapes shrimp welfare at production scale. Disease outbreaks in non-resistant shrimp cause mass mortality events involving the suffering and death of billions of animals, while antibiotic treatments for disease control have environmental welfare consequences for wild ecosystems. Selective breeding programs that incorporate disease resistance, stress tolerance, and health traits alongside growth performance represent a welfare-positive approach to production improvement. The emerging evidence for decapod crustacean sentience means that shrimp welfare consideration is scientifically warranted and that genetic improvements reducing disease burden have meaningful welfare value.