Shrimp are farmed at vast scale globally, yet welfare science for these animals is still developing. Stocking density management has clear impacts on survival, disease, and stress responses.
The welfare status of shrimp remains scientifically debated, but precautionary application of welfare principles is appropriate given the scale of production and emerging evidence for nociception. High stocking densities create conditions that increase injury, disease transmission, and physiological stress markers. Best practice management that maintains appropriate densities and water quality serves both welfare and production goals.