Intensive shrimp farming exposes billions of animals to potentially painful conditions from overcrowding and disease - welfare improvements are possible with relatively modest changes.
Shrimp welfare is increasingly recognised by researchers and welfare organisations, though industry uptake remains limited. The combination of very high stocking densities, frequent disease outbreaks, and end-of-life practices that often involve slow chilling or boiling alive creates serious welfare concerns. Even modest improvements - lower density, better disease management, and more humane slaughter - could improve welfare for enormous numbers of animals given the scale of production.