Disease outbreaks in shrimp aquaculture cause mass mortality and suffering; sustainable biosecurity practices reduce disease burden and improve welfare outcomes.
Mass mortality events in shrimp ponds represent enormous welfare harms, with billions of animals dying from disease in distressing conditions. Even where shrimp sentience remains debated, the precautionary principle argues for minimizing suffering at scale. Better biosecurity - rather than antibiotic treatment after the fact - is the welfare-aligned approach.