Aquaculture

Farmed Prawn Sorter Injury Welfare

Mechanical sorting of prawns at harvest causes physical injury, with welfare improvements available through gentler equipment design.

Key Facts

Mechanical graders separate prawns by size for market, causing physical injury
Vibration and impact in sorting equipment causes exoskeleton damage and stress
Moist environments during sorting reduce desiccation injury
Water-based sorting systems cause less injury than dry mechanical graders
Pre-sorting anaesthesia is used by some premium operators to reduce handling stress

Welfare Considerations

Mechanical sorting causes physical injury and stress to prawns at a vulnerable time - immediately after harvest crowding. Equipment design that reduces impact and vibration, combined with moist processing environments, reduces injury rates. Pre-sorting anaesthesia represents a welfare advance adopted by premium certified operations.

What You Can Do

Choose premium certified shrimp from operations with welfare-conscious sorting protocols
Support organisations developing gentler processing technology for crustaceans
Advocate for processing welfare standards in certified shrimp operations