Blinding Female Shrimps and Prawns
Slicing, crushing, or burning the eyestalks of female animals to boost their productivity
shrimps and prawns are farmed and slaughtered each year.
more eggs produced by females who have been blinded.
UK supermarket only sells ablation-free shrimp and prawns: the Co-op.
What It Is
Back in the 1940s, the shrimp farming industry discovered – and we dread to think how – that cutting, burning, or crushing the eyestalks from female shrimps stimulates egg production. That means they create more baby shrimps and you know what more baby shrimps means to the shrimp-farming industry? Ker-ching!
Today, “eyestalk ablation” is routine in shrimp and prawn production. Do shrimps feel pain when they are blinded? Yes, of course. Do shrimp farmers have to use anaesthetic or pain relief? Nope. The industrial farming complex will never stop stooping to new lows if it can sniff out the possibility of a bigger profit.
Most supermarkets have pledged to stop buying from farms that blind prawns and shrimps. So far, Waitrose and the Co-op have come good on that promise.
What They Do
Sensitive Content
This video contains content that some people may find upsetting
Impact
Sick
Is there anything sicker than deliberately blinding an animal for profit?
Suffering
Scientists say ablation causes "trauma" and describe behaviours "directly related to pain and discomfort".1
Distress
Animals who have had their eyestalks cut off show both behavioural and psychological distress.2
Investigation and Reports
Why stop using eyestalk ablation?
Co-op ends controversial practice of crushing shrimp eye stalks
Prawn eyestalk ablation
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