Genetic selection programs in farmed shrimp production increasingly consider disease resistance and stress tolerance traits with direct implications for shrimp welfare outcomes.
Shrimp genetics directly influences welfare outcomes through effects on disease susceptibility, stress tolerance and immune function. Disease outbreaks cause significant suffering in affected shrimp populations, making disease resistance a direct welfare trait in addition to a commercial one. Selective breeding programs that balance growth with immune function and stress tolerance produce shrimp that experience fewer welfare-compromising disease events and handle the stresses of commercial production better. The development of specific pathogen-free breeding lines has improved both disease control and welfare outcomes in the industry. Welfare-informed genetic selection represents an important frontier in improving shrimp aquaculture outcomes.