Growing scientific evidence suggests shrimp and other decapod crustaceans are sentient, with implications for how billions of animals are managed and slaughtered annually.
If shrimp are sentient - and the scientific consensus is moving toward accepting this - then the scale of unaddressed shrimp suffering is one of the largest welfare crises in the world. Current slaughter methods are almost certainly inhumane for sentient animals. The precautionary principle argues for immediate investment in humane slaughter research and the development of welfare standards for shrimp production.