In a significant shift towards improved animal welfare standards, Waitrose has announced its commitment to ensuring the humane slaughter of king prawns, a move that follows mounting pressure from animal rights campaigners. Concerns over the current slaughter methods, which many believe result in inhumane suffering, have led to calls for reform in prawn farming practices.

Animal rights advocates assert that many prawns experience suffocation during the slaughter process, prompting Waitrose to take steps to change these procedures. Among its notable actions is the ban on eyestalk ablation— a controversial method that involves removing the eyes of female prawns to stimulate egg production. This ban aligns with the broader movement towards ethical treatment of aquatic creatures.

In line with its commitment to animal welfare, Waitrose, according to reports from The Times, will now ensure that all farmed prawns are subjected to electrical stunning prior to slaughter. A spokesperson for the supermarket emphasised that animal welfare is a "top priority" for the company, stating their intention to implement these improved practices throughout their entire supply chain by the end of next year.

The urgency for change in prawn farming practices has been bolstered by the United Kingdom government's recognition in 2022 that decapod crustaceans, which include crabs, shrimps, and prawns, have the capacity to feel pain. In light of this, the shrimp farming industry, which sees approximately 440 billion shrimp farmed annually—five times the total number of all farmed land animals combined according to the Shrimp Welfare Project—has come under scrutiny.

Waitrose's move has been supported by other major retailers, such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, and Ocado, which are also adapting their own practices to enhance welfare standards. The International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW) has called on further action, urging other supermarkets, including Aldi and Asda, to adopt similar humane practices.

Chrys Liptrot, chief executive of ICAW, remarked that Waitrose's initiative represents "a promising step towards implementing basic welfare standards for prawns". He indicated that the organisation plans to hold other UK retailers accountable to these enhanced welfare standards across Europe as well.