End the Cruel Removal of Eyestalks in Farmed Shrimp

Dear Ministers, Retailers and Certification Bodies,

I write to you as someone who cares deeply about animals  not only those we see on land, but also those who live hidden beneath the waves, out of sight yet never out of mind. Every year, millions of farmed shrimp and prawns are produced for our plates. Many of us associate “seafood” with nature, freshness, and the ocean itself. But for these animals, the story is one of manipulation, pain and suffering.

In shrimp aquaculture, there exists a practice called eyestalk ablation  the removal, crushing, cauterising or tying-off of one or both eyestalks of female broodstock shrimp, solely to force earlier and more frequent spawning. This is done without anaesthesia, purely to increase productivity. Scientific research has shown that this practice causes extreme distress, weakens the immune system, increases mortality rates, and offers no lasting benefit when compared with humane, non-ablated methods.

The world now recognises that decapod crustaceans, including shrimp, are sentient beings capable of feeling pain, fear and distress. And yet this cruelty continues  not in the shadows of the past, but in farms operating today. Major aquaculture certification bodies have pledged to eliminate eyestalk ablation by 2030, but that means that right now, millions of shrimp are still being mutilated for profit. Every time shrimp from non-transparent, low-welfare sources are bought or sold, this suffering is silently sustained.

We call for immediate, global change. Governments, retailers and producers must commit to ending this practice once and for all. Within the next twelve months, only ablation-free shrimp should be imported, farmed or sold, with clear and honest labelling. Certification bodies and seafood retailers must pledge publicly to ban shrimp from broodstock subjected to eyestalk ablation and to transition entirely to humane, ablation-free systems by 2027, well before the global target of 2030. Transparent traceability must become the rule, not the exception, allowing every consumer to know whether the shrimp they buy were produced without cruelty.

This is not just a matter of ethics  it is a matter of truth. These animals are sensitive. They feel. They react to pain and distress. The act of removing or damaging their eyes is not a minor technical procedure; it is a violation committed for commercial gain. Studies show that ablated shrimp suffer higher mortality, weaker immunity and less resilient offspring. This is not efficiency  it is exploitation disguised as progress.

If we truly believe in compassion, fairness and responsible sourcing, our ethics cannot stop at the shore. We cannot claim to care for farmed animals on land while ignoring those beneath the sea. The world has a chance to lead by example, to prove that empathy knows no boundaries and that progress does not have to come at the expense of suffering.

Today, we ask for action and awareness. We ask everyone governments, businesses and citizens alike to commit to ablation-free shrimp, to demand transparency from suppliers, and to use their voices to expose what happens beneath the surface. By signing and sharing this petition, you join a growing global movement calling for dignity and compassion for all living beings, even the smallest and most silent among us.

I will not turn a blind eye to suffering simply because it is small, silent or underwater. I choose compassion. I choose awareness. I choose better.

Thank you.