Animal welfare as a societal concern is not new, but its application to crustaceans is very recent. The awareness and expectations around crustacean welfare has grown in response to NGO campaigns , retailer requirements and more recently, new legislation such as the UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 . G uidance on shrimp welfare practices is based on the five freedoms from (1) hunger and malnutrition , (2) discomfort from undue environmental challenges, (3) pain, injury, and disease, (4) behavioural restrictions, and (5) fear and distress (FAWC 2009) . The application of some of these concepts in shrimp aquaculture is challenging because the scientific knowledge is lacking and/or difficult to research and implement. For the first three freedoms, s cience on shrimp nutrition, stress physiology, immunology and disease control is relatively advanced . But t here are limited studies of shrimp behaviour in culture conditions, and o n the fifth freedom, pain and suffering are immeasurable.
Shrimp producers usually manage the welfare of their animals through the lens of production performance and product quality. It includes providing shrimp with adequate space and facilities, access to sufficient nutritious food, maintaining good water quality, and preventing diseases . Culture conditions are adapted to the stage in life and function , i.e. reproduction, larval development and grow-out. It also involves protocols to minimise stress during harvest and slaughter methods based on the use of ice to induce a drastic decrease in body temperature and quick death. Producers collaborate with academia, retailers, NGOs and certification bodies to define production standards based on Best Management Practices (BMPs). Nonetheless , the shrimp industry is regularly questioned on welfare aspects, including stocking densities, diseases, humane slaughter and mutilations.
The different actors in the supply chain all have a role to play to ensure good shrimp welfare in production systems and drive improvements. Retailers, suppliers, industry organisations, service and technology providers collaborate with academia to support research on specific issues, including emerging disease s and alternative production methods. Good examples are the replacement of eyestalk ablation with protocols to induce natural sexual maturation, and the development of stunning techniques for humane slaughter. Another area of collaborations is the development of welfare indicators and monitoring protocols and tools. Beyond usual environmental parameters and indicators of management practices, organs condition is a direct evaluation of shrimp welfare.