Emerging evidence on shrimp welfare and its implications for aquaculture practice.
Shrimp welfare occupies a scientifically contested but ethically important space, as the combination of enormous numbers, evidence of nociception, and poor welfare conditions in much commercial production creates a potential welfare problem of extraordinary scale. Whether shrimp experience suffering in a morally relevant sense remains debated, but the behavioral and neurological evidence increasingly supports cautious moral consideration. Eyestalk ablation in broodstock management is the most clearly welfare-negative practice given the demonstrable nociceptive response, and its elimination is achievable without major production impact. The precautionary principle justifies broader welfare improvements given the scale of uncertainty.