New collaboration with Sofina and Taika

Greetings from Shrimp Welfare Project!

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed a commitment with Sofina, and their supplier, Taika! As part of this collaboration, we will provide Taika with electrical stunning equipment, which will ensure that approximately 270 million shrimps per year are slaughtered as humanely as possible.

We had the honour of co-organising the Vietnam Farm Animal Coalition conference that was held in July. We are proud to have contributed to its success.

Lastly, we attended several interesting events and look forward to continuing to do so in the coming months!

Have a great week!

Léa | Communications Lead

Sofina, and their supplier Taika have signed a commitment with Shrimp Welfare Project to collaborate to ensure the welfare of shrimps within Taika’s farms.

Taika's commitments include limits to stocking densities and a ban on eyestalk ablation in shrimps destined for Young's. Taika will also ensure that slaughter methods are as humane as possible. To this end, Shrimp Welfare Project has committed to support Taika by providing electrical stunning equipment, developed by the Norwegian company, Optimar.

With this innovative equipment, Taika will be able to stun a significant proportion of their annual shrimp production, further enhancing animal welfare standards within their operations. This will ensure that over 4,000 metric tonnes of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps per year, (i.e. on average 270 million shrimps per year) are slaughtered as humanely as possible.

As part of this collaboration, Sofina will prioritise the purchase and sale of stunned shrimps, raising the bar for ethical and humane practices within the seafood industry.

We are excited to announce that the Vietnam Farm Animal Coalition conference, dedicated to addressing the welfare of farmed animals, took place on June 23rd and 24th, 2023 in Hanoi. This event was the first of its kind in Vietnam.

We co-organised this event with Asia for Animals - Farm Animal Coalition, Animal Alliance Asia, Vive, HealthyFarm, Vietnam Animal Welfare Association, and Chef Q. Over 150 participants attended, and the conference generated significant attention. Attendees engaged in thoughtful dialogues concerning the present state, forthcoming challenges, and potential cooperative ways aimed at improving the welfare conditions for farmed animals.

Credit: HealthyFarm, Asia Farm Animals Coalition

We are currently seeking skilled volunteers to help us in two important areas: Social Media and Research.

Social Media:

If you are a social media enthusiast with a creative flair, join us in spreading the word about shrimp welfare on our platforms. Your role will involve:

• Researching content and writing engaging and informative posts.

• Strategising the best platforms for different types of content and tailoring your approach accordingly.

• Optional: Designing visuals to accompany posts, enhancing the visual appeal of our messages.

Research:

As a research volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to various tasks, including conducting literature reviews and helping to write our reports. We're looking for someone with:

• The ability to translate complex scientific concepts into language that is easily understandable for a wider audience.

• An open mind and a curiosity-driven approach to exploring new ideas.

• Strong skills in reading scientific papers and efficiently assessing their validity and relevance.

• Good communication skills and the ability to incorporate constructive feedback into your work.

Benefits for you:

• Collaborative Environment: Work closely with our Communications Lead or our Research Lead, receiving valuable guidance and feedback to enhance your skills.

• Meaningful Impact: Join a high-impact organisation and help make a difference in the lives of billions of farmed shrimps.

• Experience: Gain practical experience with an effective altruism non-profit, enriching your CV.

• Flexibility: Flexible schedule and location.

How to apply:

If you're excited to contribute your talents and expertise to Shrimp Welfare Project, you can apply here.

In the past few months, we had the pleasure of attending the following events:

• Shrimp Summit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - July 24-26

• Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit in Los Angeles, USA - Andrés participated in the "Aquatic Advocacy: Reports from the Field" panel discussion on July 29th

• Conference on Animal Rights in Europe (CARE) in Warsaw, Poland - August 17-20

In the upcoming months, we will be attending these events. Feel free to come say hi if you want to!

• The Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht, The Netherlands - September 5-7

• International Animal Rights Conference in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - September 7-10

• Summer Shoal on Fish Welfare in the Algarve, Portugal - September 12-15

• Asia Farm Animal Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - October 8-10

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

• Andrés Jimenez Zorilla on Shrimp Welfare Project and why we should care about shrimp - How I learned to love shrimp

• Marks and Spencer Aquaculture and Wild Caught Decapod Welfare

• Sea to Plate: The welfare journey of decapod crustaceans - Crustacean Compassion 

• The Crustacean Industry Welfare Hub - developed by Crustacean Compassion

• Liên minh Động vật trang trại Việt Nam 2023: Hợp tác vì phúc lợi tốt hơn cho động vật trang trại (Vietnam Farm Animal Coalition 2023: Cooperation for better farm animal welfare)

• Quan tâm hơn nữa tới phúc lợi động vật Việt Nam (More attention to (farm) animal welfare in Vietnam)

Job opportunities in aquatic animals:

• Operations Lead/Associate - Fish Welfare Initiative

• Field Manager - Fish Welfare Initiative

• Volunteers - Shrimp Welfare Project