Shrimp aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in global food production, with over 5 million tonnes produced annually. Questions about shrimp sentience and welfare have become increasingly prominent as the sector scales.
Shrimp welfare occupies a zone of genuine scientific uncertainty, but the precautionary principle and the enormous scale of production make it ethically significant. Billions of shrimp are farmed and killed annually, often in conditions with high stocking densities and poor water quality that cause chronic stress. Eyestalk ablation in broodstock - a practice that damages tissue and disrupts hormonal systems - causes clear harm to animals that show nociceptive responses. Slaughter by ice slurry is slow and the extent of suffering during cooling is uncertain. The Shrimp Welfare Project is working to build an evidence base for welfare improvement and engage producers and retailers in implementing better practices.