The Future of Sustainable Seafood: Shrimp Welfare Project Joins UK Retailers, Researchers, and Industry Partners in Celebrating World’s First Stunning and Tailing Machine for Nephrops
The first-of-its-kind research project is innovating humane slaughter technology for crustaceans.
For Immediate Release — October 27, 2025
Contact: press@shrimpwelfareproject.org
Shrimp Welfare Project is celebrating the world’s first prototype of an onboard stunning and tailing machine for wild-caught nephrops – also known as scampi or langoustines – as it marks a historic research breakthrough and industry innovation for crustacean welfare.
Shrimp Welfare Project is a supporter of the project, led by Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability (FIS), as part of a broad coalition of more than a dozen partners from across the UK seafood supply chain, including Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Whitby Foods, Young’s Seafood, technology experts from Optimar, and researchers from the University of Stirling.
The project could lead to significant improvements to animal welfare and worker safety:
The onboard machine is designed to electrically stun nephrops, rendering them unconscious so they experience less pain and distress during harvest.
The machine also removes nephrops’ tails – a task that is typically done by hand and is physically demanding for deck crew.
Without any form of stunning, nephrops remain fully conscious during tailing, which raises concerns for animal welfare.
Decapod crustaceans, including shrimps and nephrops, are recognised as sentient under the UK’s Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, and the seafood industry is taking steps to transition to higher welfare practices, including electrical stunning and humane slaughter.
The project was recently named a Finalist for Global Seafood Alliance’s 2025 Responsible Seafood Innovation Awards. The prototype was successfully trialled on a nephrops trawler earlier this year, demonstrating the potential for humane slaughter in challenging onboard environments.
“At Shrimp Welfare Project, we conduct and support research to help fill the ‘welfare gap’ in the scientific literature, so we can all better understand decapod crustaceans and help improve their lives,” said Shannon Davis, Research and Policy Lead at Shrimp Welfare Project. “Shrimp Welfare Project is enthusiastic about participating in this broad coalition as the UK seafood industry transitions to electrical stunning and humane slaughter. Together, we can work towards a more ethical and sustainable seafood industry.”
“The groundbreaking collaboration between the Shrimp Welfare Project, UK fishers, and other seafood experts has created a prototype that is making waves in meeting new animal welfare requirements,” said Kara Brydson, Executive Director at FIS. “Innovation takes guts and commitment, and Shrimp Welfare Project and all our partners are now committed to making real change on the water, with sea trials of our first-of-its-kind stunning and tailing machine with the potential to improve both crew conditions and the humane handling of animals caught.”
“At M&S, quality means more than great taste – it’s about how our food is responsibly sourced and produced,” said Peter Kennedy, Head of Agriculture and Fisheries at Marks & Spencer. “That’s why working closely with farmers and fisherman to lead on animal welfare and sustainable sourcing is a cornerstone of our Plan A for Farming. We’ve always believed that sourcing to the highest welfare standards is simply the right thing to do – and it’s what our customers expect. When they shop with M&S, they’re choosing exceptional quality food, produced with care. We’re proud to have played a key role in this pioneering project to improve animal welfare in the langoustine supply chain. By collaborating with scientists, technology partners and other organisations such as Shrimp Welfare Project, we’ve helped develop an innovative solution that not only enhances welfare but also improves safety for fishing crews – a meaningful step forward in line with our Forever Fish strategy.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Robin Goist at press@shrimpwelfareproject.org.
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Shrimp Welfare Project is a global NGO guiding the shrimp farming industry towards higher welfare practices for a more sustainable and ethical future. We support producers, suppliers, and retailers in their transition to more humane methods through our Corporate Engagement programme, focusing on Humane Slaughter and Eyestalk Ablation-Free initiatives. We conduct farmer outreach through the Sustainable Shrimp Farmers of India (SSFI) and contribute to research on shrimp welfare and responsible aquaculture. Learn more at ShrimpWelfareProject.org.
