Farming of Penaeus monodon continues to rely on wild-caught broodstock and unilateral eyestalk ablation of females to achieve reliable control of reproduction. While effective, this practice is becoming increasingly controversial due to welfare concerns. Certification agencies in some countries have already banned eyestalk ablation, while others, including Australia, are set to ban it by 2030. This shift presents a critical challenge for hatcheries and the broader shrimp industry.
Here we discuss a project that has focused on controlled testing of several husbandry interventions, including feeding practices, anaesthesia, environmental enrichment, and eyestalk ablation, to help address long-standing gaps in animal biology, reproductive physiology and behavioural science. Key outcomes include establishing behavioural indicators to serve as proxies for welfare status in broodstock P. monodon, identifying safe and effective anaesthetic protocols for female shrimps, and refining best-practice husbandry protocols informed by behavioural metrics.
This presentation will summarise these advances, highlight their scientific and industry relevance, and discuss this delicate and complex topic.