Biofloc technology in shrimp aquaculture improves water quality and reduces disease pressure — welfare implications are positive when properly managed.
Biofloc technology welfare implications are generally positive when the system is well-managed, but the oxygen management requirement creates a welfare vulnerability if monitoring lapses. In well-managed biofloc systems, shrimp benefit from improved water quality, reduced pathogen pressure, and supplementary nutrition from biofloc particles. Disease incidence reductions translate directly to welfare benefits — fewer mass mortality events and reduced individual suffering. The welfare risk arises from oxygen depletion during biofloc activity peaks, which can cause rapid mass mortality if monitoring systems fail or response is delayed. This makes continuous oxygen monitoring and emergency aeration capacity essential welfare infrastructure for biofloc operations. The net welfare assessment of biofloc systems is positive compared to conventional pond aquaculture, provided oxygen management is adequately resourced.