Aquaculture

Farmed Prawn Starvation and Underfeeding Welfare

Underfeeding in prawn farms causes chronic food insecurity and welfare costs alongside production losses.

Key Facts

Optimal feeding rates in prawn farming are determined by biomass and feed conversion ratios
Underfeeding reduces growth but also causes chronic hunger if maintained long-term
Competition for limited feed creates welfare inequality between dominant and subordinate individuals
Automated feeding systems deliver more accurate rations than manual methods
Waste feed monitoring prevents both overfeeding (pollution) and underfeeding (welfare and production losses)

Welfare Considerations

Chronic underfeeding in prawn farms causes food insecurity and potentially hunger if prawns have sufficient sentience. The welfare and production case for accurate feeding management align: optimal feeding maximises both individual welfare and farm profitability. Automated, biomass-adjusted feeding systems improve both outcomes simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support certified shrimp farms with automated feeding management
Advocate for optimal feeding management as a welfare requirement in prawn certification
Choose shrimp from farms demonstrating precision feeding practices