The Shrimp Welfare Project

~400 billion shrimps are farmed each year. This is more than 5x the total number of all farmed land animals put together. Many of them suffer from conditions which can and should be addressed, such as: Risk of disease - Diseases that exist within the normal microflora of shrimps can thrive under high stocking densities, enabling pathogenic outbreaks. This is detrimental not only to the farmed shrimps but can cause large spillover events if best management practices are not followed. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics to stop diseases promotes the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Part of the solution in this case is prevention through best welfare practices. Water quality - Oxygen and ammonia levels, temperature, salinity and pH are key to the welfare of all aquatic animals, including shrimps. Incorrect water management can lead to not only the contamination of nearby bodies of water and salinization and acidification of the soil, but also to compromised immune systems in shrimps and, in extreme cases, to death by suffocation or poisoning. Eyestalk ablation - Some hatcheries still practice crushing or cutting off the eyestalk of female shrimps to induce rapid maturation. Recent studies have demonstrated that avoiding eyestalk ablation can result in broodstock living longer and their offspring being more resistant to stress. Therefore, eliminating this practice is in the best interest of shrimps but also of the shrimp farming industry. They are highly neglected. Shrimp Welfare Project is the first organization focusing exclusively on the welfare of these animals. This has been made possible, in part, thanks to organizations such as Charity Entrepreneurship and Rethink Priorities raising the issue of invertebrate suffering.

The Shrimp Welfare Project

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