Legislation passed in the UK in 2022 provided legal recognition that decapod crustaceans, including crabs, lobster, prawns and shrimp, are sentient animals with the capacity to experience pain, distress and harm.
Animal rights campaigners say billions of prawns farmed each year deserve better welfare protection and are targeting what they describe as “atrocious” practices of “eyestalk ablation” and suffocation in ice slurry.
Smaller shrimp in standard supermarket sandwiches are typically cold-water prawns, while most king prawns on supermarket shelves or in takeaway meals will be farmed.
The UK market is dominated by the larger warm-water prawns farmed in Asia and South America, and cold-water prawns that are caught wild.
The global shrimp market, which includes prawns and shrimp, is worth more than £30bn a year and has been boosted by increased demand for low-fat, protein-rich foods.
