Suffering in Silence: Four Facts About the World’s Most Farmed Animal

By Justine Audemard 

Photo: © weerasreesam / Adobe Stock

Shrimp are farmed in the Global South

for consumers in the Global North

Around the world, approximately 440 billion farmed shrimp are slaughtered each year. These shrimp are primarily born and raised in the Global South, including countries such as Ecuador, China, India, Venezuela, and Vietnam, before being exported to the Global North, which includes Japan, the United States, and Europe.

Contrary to other animals raised for food, consumers are often unaware of the living and slaughter conditions of shrimp, as these processes take place on the other side of the world. However, this does not imply that shrimp are exempt from the worst practices. 

In many cases, the countries where shrimp are farmed lack sufficient animal welfare standards, if such standards exist at all. This is why retailers, at the end of the supply chain, have the responsibility to adopt meaningful shrimp welfare policies.

Shrimp are sentient animals 

Shrimp, like all decapod crustaceans, are recognized as sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and distress, and they should be treated accordingly.  

Several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, and Norway, have integrated this information into their animal welfare laws to establish standards for decapod farming.

 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2005.292

What shrimp go through before

being sold by retailers

Reproductive female shrimp in hatcheries are subjected to a cruel and painful practice known as eyestalk ablation, purportedly to enhance productivity.

Eyestalk ablation consists of cutting off one or two eyestalks from a female shrimp using a razor blade or hot scissors, without the use of anesthetic. This procedure has become a standard practice in the shrimp industry, as it is believed to significantly increase the number of eggs laid, subjecting shrimp to severe mutilation.

The cruel practice of eyestalk ablation

However, recent scientific studies have demonstrated that eyestalk ablation is not only inhumane but also entirely unnecessary for maintaining productivity. This practice can lead to increased mortality rates, making weak larvae more susceptible to disease. Research indicates that comparable productivity levels can be achieved by altering shrimp feed. 

To date, the European Union prohibits eyestalk ablation only for organically certified shrimp. In terms of primary certification schemes, Global GAP does not certify farms that utilize larvae from ablated shrimp. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has decided to phase out eyestalk ablation, beginning in 2025, with a target completion date of 2031.

For slaughter, the most common practice is the use of ice slurry. Shrimp are stunned through thermal shock by being immersed in ice-cold water. Several factors influence the efficiency of ice slurry; and unfortunately, there are no standardized practices in place.

Photo: Shatabdi Chakrabarti / We Animals Media

Electric stunning has been recognized as the most humane method for decapod crustaceans. It has become a common practice for crabs, lobsters, and crayfish. This technology is now also available for shrimp, ensuring they are effectively stunned before slaughter.

The Humane Slaughter Initiative, recently developed by The Shrimp Welfare Project, offers electrical stunners at no cost to producers who participate in the program and commit to stunning a specified volume of shrimp.

How can European retailers

put an end to this suffering?

As shrimp welfare gains traction in Europe, several retailers have pledged to adopt higher welfare standards by eliminating eyestalk ablation and implementing electric stunning for all shrimp in their supply chains within a specified timeline, positively impacting hundreds of millions of shrimp annually!

If the industry is making progress in the right direction, some retailers still remain silent about the welfare standards in their shrimp supply chains. At ICAW, we are dedicated to promoting improved shrimp welfare practices by urging all European retailers to implement effective policies. 

Is your local retailer committed to

higher shrimp welfare?

 Based on publicly available information in January 2025