Prawns are one of the world's most consumed seafoods, but their welfare in intensive aquaculture settings receives almost no regulatory attention despite strong evidence of sentience.
Prawns show avoidance learning, stress responses to noxious stimuli, and behavioral indicators of pain. Eyestalk ablation - routinely performed without anaesthesia on female broodstock - causes obvious distress and represents a major unaddressed welfare issue. Crowding, poor water quality, and live slaughter by chilling or cutting without stunning are additional welfare concerns at industrial scale.