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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Scientists have found that prawns who have their eyes cut off become disoriented, flick their tails (an escape reflex) and rub the traumatised area — all behaviours associated with pain.
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.
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