Aquatic Animals

Farmed Shrimp Eyestalk Ablation Reform

Eyestalk ablation — removing the eye to stimulate spawning in shrimp — is a painful routine procedure that the industry is beginning to replace with selective breeding alternatives.

Key Facts

Eyestalk ablation is performed on approximately 30-50% of shrimp broodstock in global aquaculture
The procedure removes the sinus gland that produces gonadal-inhibiting hormone, accelerating spawning
Selective breeding programs have produced shrimp lines that spawn readily without ablation in some species
Some major retailers including Marks and Spencer have committed to sourcing from non-ablation operations

Welfare Considerations

Eyestalk ablation causes acute pain and permanent sensory loss in animals for which there is growing evidence of sentience. It is performed at massive scale entirely for human convenience and can be replaced by selective breeding. The welfare case for elimination is strong, the technology exists, and consumer and retailer pressure is beginning to create market incentives for change.

What You Can Do

Support retailers that have committed to non-eyestalk-ablation shrimp sourcing
Avoid purchasing shrimp products that cannot confirm non-ablation sourcing
Advocate for eyestalk ablation to be prohibited in aquaculture welfare regulations
Support research into selective breeding programs for high-performance non-ablated shrimp
Urge aquaculture certification bodies to prohibit eyestalk ablation in welfare standards