Sustainable Shrimp Farmers of India and a new corporate agreement!

Greetings from Shrimp Welfare Project!

First, we are thrilled to announce the launch of SSFI - Sustainable Shrimp Farmers of India! This farmer-backed group aims to support shrimp farmers in adopting more sustainable practices. We believe that SSFI will play a pivotal role in promoting sustainability in the Indian shrimp farming industry.

We are also excited to announce that we have signed a commitment with Seajoy to collaborate to ensure the welfare of shrimps within their farms! This commitment will allow for more than 6,000 metric tonnes of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps per year, (i.e. on average 400 million shrimps per year) to receive the most humane treatment available at the moment of slaughter. You can find more information about this collaboration below.

We are proud to co-organise the very first conference in Vietnam dedicated to farm animal welfare. The event is scheduled to take place on June 23-24, and will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the current state of farm animal welfare.

In recent months, we also have been invited to various exciting events where we had the opportunity to highlight the importance of shrimp welfare.

Furthermore, we are delighted to introduce our new team member, Shannon Davis, who joins us as our new Research Lead. Shannon brings valuable expertise and passion to our team, and we are excited to have her on board. 

Finally, we are hiring a Head of Programmes! We are seeking a detail-oriented and natural relationship builder who is excited to develop and cultivate impactful and reciprocal partnerships with influential individuals to support improving the welfare of farmed shrimps. You can find out more here. Applications will be accepted until June 30th!

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to shrimp welfare. We look forward to sharing more updates with you soon.

Have a great week!

Léa | Communications Lead

SSFI is a platform and community for like-minded shrimp farmers. SSFI not only provides a space for knowledge sharing and collaboration but also offers valuable services such as water quality checks, farm visits by technicians, and online consultations through a convenient WhatsApp-based system. In addition, we successfully organised a farmer outreach programme in Gujarat, where we introduced farmers to the concept of shrimp welfare and enrolled them in our SSFI programme.

Seajoy Cooke (Seajoy) and Shrimp Welfare Project have signed a commitment to collaborate to ensure the welfare of shrimps in Seajoy’s farms. This agreement was made possible largely thanks to the support of Labeyrie Fine Foods (LFF), one of Seajoy’s largest customers.

Commitments from Seajoy include limits to stocking densities, not using eyestalk ablation and ensuring that slaughter methods are as humane as possible. To this end, Shrimp Welfare Project has committed to support Seajoy by providing electrical stunning equipment, developed by the Norwegian company, Optimar (with whom Shrimp Welfare Project has also entered into an agreement to support the adoption of electrical stunning technology).

This commitment places Seajoy at the forefront of the adoption of electrical stunning, the most humane stunning method for shrimp known to date. It will allow for more than 6,000 metric tonnes of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps per year, (i.e. on average 400 million shrimps per year) to receive the most humane treatment available at the moment of slaughter.

“At our Seajoy farms Animal Welfare has always been our priority, we pursue disease prevention and appropriate veterinary care, shelter, management and nutrition, a stimulating and safe environment, humane management and humane slaughter. We are pleased to partner with organisations such as Labeyrie Fine Foods and Shrimp Welfare Project as we pursue a common goal, the Welfare of our shrimp.” - Ismael Wong, CEO, Seajoy

“We are extremely excited to partner with such highly reputable firms in the shrimp industry as Seajoy and Labeyrie Fine Foods in spearheading the adoption of the most humane slaughter method available. As consumers and citizens the world over concern themselves more and more about the way their food is produced, we are convinced that the market will recognise and reward these pioneering efforts to raise the bar of animal welfare practices in the shrimp farming industry” - Andrés Jiménez Zorrilla, CEO, Shrimp Welfare Project

As part of our collaboration with MER Seafood, we have committed to providing them with electrical stunning equipment from Optimar, with whom we have also entered into an agreement. The equipment has been shipped and is on its way to Honduras! Its use will allow 1,500 to 2,300 tonnes of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps per year to be effectively stunned, representing an average of 125 million shrimps per year. This is currently the most humane stunning method known for shrimps.

We are excited to announce the Farm Animal Coalition - Vietnam Conference, which will take place on June 23-24, 2023 in Hanoi. This is the very first conference in Vietnam dedicated to farm animal welfare. Co-organised by Asia for Animals - Farm Animal Coalition and key animal welfare and vegan groups in Vietnam, including Shrimp Welfare Project, this conference aims to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding farm animal welfare in the country. On the first day, stakeholders will engage in discussions about the current state of farm animal welfare in the country, as well as the challenges and opportunities for collaboration to improve it. The second day offers the public a chance to experience a day on farms through VR devices, learn about different animal species, and enjoy fun activities.

Shannon Davis has an MA in Marine Conservation and Policy and 4 years of experience in the aquaculture welfare space. She has previously created a global animal welfare standard for farmed Atlantic salmon and spearheaded The Humane League's fish welfare programme. She is passionate about pursuing equitable, sustainable welfare solutions for humans and aquatic animals.

Welcome to the team Shannon!

The Animal Welfare Week 

From March 28th to April 1st, Andrés (CEO) attended The Animal Welfare Week organised by Optimar and Marks & Spencer in Ålesund, Norway. During the event, various speakers and lecturers shared their insights on sustainable farming of aquatic animals. Attending this event and engaging in discussions surrounding this important topic was an incredible experience, and we were honoured to be a part of it.

EA Global London 

From May 19th to 21st, Andrés, Aaron (CIO) and Léa (Communications Lead)  attended the EA Global conference in London. Our team had a fantastic time connecting with inspiring individuals from the Effective Altruism community. We engaged in great discussions, and many new and exciting ideas emerged.

Blue Food Innovation Summit

Andrés was invited to speak at the Blue Food Innovation Summit in London on May 23rd. He participated in the 'Aquatic Welfare & Harvest: Strengthening Standards and Driving Welfare-Focused Technologies' panel. We were delighted to see that welfare was a key topic at this event.

Extinction or Regeneration Conference

On May 12th, Andrés took part in a panel discussion about the future of aquatic food, where he presented on "Shrimp Farming: A Global Supply Chain". During his presentation, he made the following key points:

• Using welfare can be a way for small-scale farmers to increase their profitability.

• As a complex industry, shrimp farming requires interventions that are tailored to each country and system.

If you want to learn more about shrimp welfare and the shrimp farming industry:

• Interview: ACE AQUATEC – Nathan Pyne-Carter, CEO

• Marks and Spencer, Optimar leading charge on improving seafood industry's animal welfare practices

Job and volunteering opportunities in aquatic animals:

• Head of Programmes - Shrimp Welfare Project

• Data Collector - Fish Welfare Initiative

• Field Manager - Fish Welfare Initiative

• International Knowledge Worker - Fish Welfare Initiative

• Board Members - Crustacean Compassion

• Volunteers - Shrimp Welfare Project