Shrimp Welfare Hits Prime Time

Greetings from Shrimp Welfare Project!

May this May heretofore be known as the month that shrimp welfare landed a spotlight on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. That’s right, our very own Co-Founder and Board Chair, Andrés Jiménez Zorrilla, was interviewed by comedian Ronny Chieng for a hilarious yet surprisingly insightful segment where viewers got a crash course into our work.

We’re also thrilled to welcome our new Corporate Engagement & Latin America Coordinator, Jessica Gámez, to the team.

And we just made it easier for you to share these newsletters and encourage your friends to sign up! (All the cool kids are doing it!) Simply head over to shrimpwelfareproject.org/newsletter to view past editions and subscribe.

Have a great month!

Robin | Communications Lead

When most people first hear about shrimp welfare, their immediate reaction is, “You must be joking.” But once they learn more about it — like how half a trillion farmed shrimps suffer needlessly painful deaths each year, and mother shrimps have their eyes crushed or cut off to force them to breed faster — they often realise just how important this issue really is. 

Ronny Chieng recently experienced that exact mental transition when he interviewed Shrimp Welfare Project’s Co-Founder and Board Chair, Andrés Jiménez Zorrilla, on The Daily Show. In just 6 minutes, Ronny takes the audience on a journey from viewing shrimp welfare as a wacky idea, to supporting it enthusiastically. 

The Daily Show’s signature blend of irreverent humor, comedic roasting, and a dash of serious candor, brilliantly serves as a vehicle to raise awareness for shrimp welfare. (And Ronny, next time let's chat about impactful interventions — we’re not so sure that throwing shrimps on the ground outside of Bubba Gump is the most effective! 😉) 

Since the segment aired, Shrimp Welfare Project has heard from people across the globe asking: How can I help shrimps?

1. Ask your local supermarkets about their shrimp welfare standards.

2. Inquire if they have commitments to eliminate eyestalk ablation and incorporate electrical stunning and humane slaughter.

3. Feel free to mention Shrimp Welfare Project as a resource — we’re here to help!

We’re incredibly thankful for this new wave of support. Watch and share the clip so more people can have an ‘aha’ moment and be inspired to help improve the lives of billions of shrimps worldwide.

We are happy to introduce a new powerhouse to the Shrimp Welfare Project team: Jessica Gámez, our new Corporate Engagement & Latin America Coordinator, who officially joined us on May 6th! 

Jessica brings over a decade of expertise in global sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) roles, coupled with a passion for animal welfare advocacy. As a seasoned chemical engineer with a master's degree in environmental sciences, policy, and management, Jessica’s professional journey reflects her dedication to creating positive change — now specifically focusing on improving welfare standards in shrimp farming. 

With Jessica on board, we are excited to amplify our impact in Latin America and continue driving collaborative solutions to advance humane shrimp farming practices globally.

In the past month, we attended: 

• AVA Summit in Los Angeles, CA (May 15 → May 18)

• Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, Spain (May 6 → May 8)

“At Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, we had the pleasure of meeting with more than a dozen corporate leaders from across the shrimp industry. It was a tremendous opportunity to reconnect with long-standing partners, as well as introduce ourselves to producers, suppliers, and retailers who want to be leaders in sustainable aquaculture. Our biggest takeaway from the Expo is that there’s incredible momentum towards higher-welfare practices, and Shrimp Welfare Project is enthusiastic to help support that transition.”

— Krzysztof Wojtas, Shrimp Welfare Project’s Chief Programmes Officer

In the next month, we look forward to attending:

• AI, Animals, & Digital Minds 2025 in London, United Kingdom (May 30 → June 1)

• EA Global in London, United Kingdom (June 6 → June 8)

• Crustacean Compassion Day, Virtual (June 10)

  • Communications Lead Robin Goist will be presenting about Shrimp Welfare Project’s programmes and initiatives during Part 2 of the event.

This month’s media coverage highlights:

• Current Affairs published a Q&A with Andrés titled, “Shrimp Are the Most Abused Animals on Earth.”

• Freelance journalist Jon Hochschartner also interviewed Andrés about shrimp welfare and cultivated meat. 

• Shrimp Welfare Project was highlighted in a City AM column, “Why Shrimp Deserve Compassion, Too.”

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

• On the EA Forum, Shrimp Welfare Project’s Chief Operations Officer Aaron Boddy wrote two new posts:

• • An outline of Shrimp Welfare Project’s 2030 vision, key workstreams, and absorbency plans. Read more →

  • An innovative proposal to create market incentives for humane slaughter via Shrimp Stunning Credits. Read more →

• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) launched the new ASC Farm Standard at the Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona. 

• • Shrimp Welfare Project was a part of the Technical Working Group for this new certification standard, which now includes electrical stunning as an approved method of stunning for shrimps and other crustaceans. Learn more →

• Rethink Priorities released a report showing the number of farmed shrimps is expected to increase by 73% by 2033, from ~440 billion to ~762 billion. Explore in-depth coverage from Vox →

• A new shrimp industry report from Research and Markets highlights Shrimp Welfare Project’s collaboration with Ace Aquatec on their innovative A-HSU stunning system debut in Thailand. Read a summary of the report here → 

• Mangrove integration and innovative tech projects in Indonesia, India, and Ecuador are helping shrimp farmers align with climate goals while remaining profitable. Read more from The Fish Site →

• The newly introduced “Safer Shrimp Imports Act” in the U.S. would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure foreign shrimp production matches American safety standards. Learn more in Seafood Source →

Job opportunities in aquatic animals:

• Policy & Advocacy Lead - Upstream Policies

• Program Manager - Fish Welfare Initiative

• Program Associate - Fish Welfare Initiative