Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Prawn Disease Prevention Welfare

Disease outbreaks are the leading cause of mortality and welfare problems in farmed shrimp and prawns. Biosecurity, nutrition, and water quality management are the most effective disease prevention strategies.

Key Facts

White Spot Syndrome Virus and Early Mortality Syndrome cause billions of dollars in annual losses
Disease stress causes chronic immune activation and reduced welfare in affected prawns
Probiotic supplementation reduces pathogen load and improves survival in some trials
Closed recirculating aquaculture systems reduce disease exposure from wild vectors
Genetic selection for disease resistance is an active research area in prawn breeding

Welfare Considerations

Prawn disease outbreaks cause mass mortality and significant individual suffering for animals that survive but remain chronically infected or physiologically stressed. Prevention through rigorous biosecurity, optimal nutrition, and water quality management reduces disease incidence and the welfare costs associated with both disease and treatment.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture standards that include disease management requirements
Choose prawns from certified farms with demonstrated biosecurity protocols
Advocate for investment in disease-resistant prawn genetics research