Farm Animal Welfare

Farmed Shrimp Eye Ablation Advanced

Eye ablation in farmed shrimp involves removing an eyestalk to induce spawning; it is a painful procedure performed on billions of shrimp annually without anaesthesia.

Key Facts

Female shrimp have a reproductive inhibiting hormone produced in the eyestalk
Ablating (removing) the eyestalk induces maturation and egg production
Ablation is performed by cutting or crushing the eyestalk without anaesthesia
Shrimp show clear pain responses to noxious stimuli; eyestalk ablation almost certainly causes pain
Non-ablation breeding programmes have been developed but are not yet widely adopted

Welfare Considerations

Eye ablation without anaesthesia causes pain to billions of shrimp annually; the development and adoption of non-ablation breeding methods is an urgent welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Support shrimp welfare standards that require non-ablation breeding where feasible
Choose ASC or BAP-certified shrimp and ask producers about breeding practices
Advocate for industry transition to non-ablation production methods