Aurelia Adhiambo
Despite growing evidence that shrimps are sentient, their welfare has been overlooked. Now, advocates are highlighting their exploitation and calling for change to reduce suffering in our food system.
Have you ever watched a shrimp glide through the water? Have you seen one snatch up their prey and retreat to a safe hiding spot to enjoy their meal?
Probably not. For most consumers around the world, when we think of shrimps, we think of lifeless adornments atop a cocktail glass—a faceless commodity.
In the wild, shrimps lead fascinating lives, navigating the underwater world with impressive agility. Despite a growing body of evidence that shrimps are sentient, their welfare has never garnered widespread public attention. But today, some animal advocates are naming shrimps as one of the most exploited animals in our food system, and beginning to call for change.
Who are shrimps?
Shrimps are fascinating and sentient creatures found in oceans and rivers around the world. With more than 2,000 species, shrimps are among the most abundant crustaceans on the planet, and they play an essential role in the marine food chain.
Despite their sentience and their importance in marine ecosystems, shrimps are widely exploited for human consumption. Approximately 440 billion shrimp are farmed for food each year, which is more than the total number of humans who have ever walked the earth. More shrimps are slaughtered for human consumption each year than any other farmed taxa, except for insects. Due to the scale of the industry, improving shrimp welfare presents a powerful opportunity to significantly reduce suffering in our food system.
Do shrimps feel pain?
A 2021 report commissioned by the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and published by the London School of Economics and Political Science concluded that all cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans—a group that includes shrimps—should be regarded as sentient (or capable of feeling).
The report states: "The scientific evidence clearly indicates that those groups of animals are able to experience pain and distress, or the evidence, either directly or by analogy with animals in the same taxonomic group(s), is sufficient to conclude they can experience pain and distress." According to Andrés Jiménez Zorilla of the Shrimp Welfare Project, a survey conducted in India found that 95% of shrimp farmers believe their shrimp experience pain and stress.
“One of them actually had a very endearing answer, saying that he spent more time with his animals than he did with his family and that if his shrimps suffer, he said, I also suffer,” Zorilla said. “I think it’s unsurprising because these people spend a significant amount of time seeing the behavior of the animals and they’re much less skewed than… consumers who never see them alive are.”
Three shrimp welfare concerns you should know about
Shrimp welfare is a young field of study within animal advocacy. Researchers are quickly developing a clearer understanding of the conditions that support shrimps’ well-being. Welfare experts have identified 18 potential threats to shrimp in our food system. Some of the most significant include:
#1. Eyestalk ablation
Eyestalk ablation is a widespread practice in the shrimp industry, in which one or both of a female shrimp’s eyes are crushed or cut off to accelerate reproduction and shorten maturation time. This process causes significant welfare concerns. Shrimps exhibit clear signs of distress in response to eyestalk ablation, and experts warn that it can lead to severe physical trauma, chronic stress, and increased mortality rates.
#2: Cruel slaughter methods
Shrimps are typically slaughtered by suffocation or immersion in an ice slurry—a method that involves chilling them to death in a mix of water and ice. Both techniques are believed to cause prolonged and intense suffering and neither method ensures stunning prior to slaughter. Welfare experts advocate for more humane alternatives, such as electrical stunning, which could significantly reduce shrimp suffering during slaughter.
#3: Disease
Most farmed shrimps are raised in overcrowded ponds where disease spreads easily. Common viral infections include white spot syndrome virus, yellow head virus, and infectious myonecrosis virus. These outbreaks can be devastating, often causing mass die-offs, with mortality rates ranging from 40% to 100%. To treat rampant disease, many farmers overuse antibiotics, leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and posing a serious public health risk. Estimates suggest that antibiotic use in shrimp farms is widespread, underreported, and projected to increase over time.
How you can help shrimps
Shrimps are the most popular seafood in the United States, yet most consumers know little about the individual animals behind this industry. A recent assessment estimates that each shrimp in our food system endures over 4,000 hours of pain during the main stage of production alone, highlighting the urgent need for stronger welfare protections. Despite their vast numbers, shrimps have often been overlooked in animal welfare initiatives, in part because we are largely unfamiliar with shrimps as individuals.
But now, animal protection groups are beginning to include crustaceans in welfare advocacy, and promoting innovative protections for shrimps. In response, some corporations are taking action. Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, and Hilton Foods, a global multi-protein processor, have both committed to crustacean welfare policies, including ending eyestalk ablation in their UK supply chains, and requiring stunning before slaughter.
Corporations like Tesco and Hilton Foods are setting an important precedent, but more progress is needed. You can be a part of the solution. Here are a few simple ways that you can help:
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If you choose to eat shrimps, support companies that prioritize humane and sustainable practices. Cutting back on shrimp consumption is another way to promote improved welfare by reducing demand.
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Take time to learn about who shrimps are as living animals.
If you’re ready to start making a difference for shrimps and other animals, you can take action today through our Animal Policy Alliance. Current policy efforts to protect fishes and octopuses may pave the way for shrimp welfare progress in the future. Together, we can build a more compassionate world. Thank you for creating a kinder future for animals!
