Prawn farms are performing a cruel procedure on live prawns – just to make them breed faster.
Female prawns have their eye stalks cut off — usually without any pain relief. This practice, called ‘eyestalk ablation’ happens in almost all prawn hatcheries around the world, including Australia.
A female prawn has a hormonal gland behind her eye that moderates reproduction, only allowing her to breed when conditions are suitable.
The stressful and crowded conditions on farms can make prawns reluctant to reproduce. By cutting her eye, prawn farmers destroy the gland, blinding her and forcing her into rapid sexual maturity.
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In the UK, prawns have been recognised as sentient and their capacity to experience feelings and sensations has been acknowledged by law. This decision was based on a recent report commissioned by the UK Government which called for all cephalopod molluscs (such as octopus and squid) and decapod crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters & shrimps) “be regarded as sentient.”
A decade ago, scientists found that prawns who had their eyes cut off became disoriented, flicked their tails (an escape reflex) and rubbed the traumatised area — all behaviours associated with pain.
And this suffering prawns are forced to endure is unnecessary. Research has found that, given the right environment, female prawns will breed without having their eye cut off. Even the Global Seafood Alliance has published research stating ‘eyestalk ablation’ is not necessary – and also leads to prawn offspring being more vulnerable to disease.
One of Latin America’s largest group of prawn farms, SeaJoy, has already phased out this gruesome procedure, and we must call on Australian prawn farms to do the same. Like all animals who have the ability to think and feel – and therefore suffer – prawns are in need of protection from cruelty across the globe.
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