Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) has confirmed it will require all shrimp production facilities around the world certified to Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification standards to end eyestalk ablation or the sourcing of shrimp post larvae from hatcheries that engage in the practice by the end of 2030.
Eyestalk ablation – the pinching, cauterising or surgical removal of a broodstock female shrimp’s eyestalk – is a breeding technique that prompts the spawning process and has been a standard practice in shrimp hatcheries for nearly four decades. The eyestalk of a shrimp contains a complex of glands that influence moulting, sexual maturation and egg production.
For the past several years, GSA has funded and undertaken extensive research to identify commercially viable alternative methods to eyestalk ablation and has collaborated with academic, NGO and industry partners to ascertain the challenges associated with an industry-wide shift to shrimp farming without ablation. Last year, the organisation shared the results of a survey conducted with shrimp producers in key production regions to determine the industry’s readiness for adopting alternative methods and the primary obstacles to achieving that goal.
As a result of these collaborative efforts, GSA has decided to ban the practice of eyestalk ablation by the end of 2030 and will work closely with BAP-certified producers and industry stakeholders in the lead-up to achieve this goal.
“The years of rigorous due diligence conducted by the GSA team and by our valued external shareholders gives us confidence that BAP-certified shrimp facilities will be able to successfully make the transition to non-ablated shrimp production within five years,” GSA CEO Mike Kocsis said. “It may be a difficult challenge for some producers, but it’s become clear that eyestalk ablation should no longer be considered among the best practices for shrimp aquaculture. Animal health and welfare is one of the four pillars of responsibility that guide all BAP standards, which also include environmental responsibility, food safety and social accountability. Our standards are designed to strengthen over time and reflect the latest knowledge about the impact of aquaculture, an industry that will only be growing in importance as both the global human population and the threat of climate change increase.”
GSA believes that as aquatic animal welfare research and knowledge have matured, shrimp eyestalk ablation has emerged as an issue that the industry can and should solve through innovation and collaboration. Some retailers and consumers have been calling for an end to the practice.
“GSA stands ready to support the global aquaculture industry at all times and be a resource for shrimp farmers everywhere who need assistance making this historically important transition,” Kocsis said.
There are currently nearly 1,900 shrimp farms and 150 shrimp hatcheries around the world with an active BAP certification, producing nearly 800,000 tonnes of shrimp annually. Globally, there are more than 4,000 BAP-certified farms, hatcheries, processing plants for all seafood products combined.
