How emerging shrimp welfare certification standards address stocking density, water quality, and slaughter in farmed shrimp production.
Shrimp welfare certification is at an early stage, hampered by scientific uncertainty about shrimp sentience and a lack of validated welfare indicators. Despite this uncertainty, the sheer number of shrimp farmed — potentially hundreds of billions annually — makes welfare improvement a high-priority area under precautionary principles. Current certification focuses on water quality parameters and stocking density limits that reduce disease and stress. Developing species-appropriate stunning methods and welfare indicators is an urgent research priority.