Tesco has won praise for taking a leadership role on the welfare of crustaceans including lobsters and prawns after it made a series of new welfare commitments.
The retail giant this month published a farmed decapod crustacean welfare policy, a group that includes lobsters, crabs, shrimp and prawns.
Developed with the support of the Aquatic Life Institute, the policy commits Tesco not to sell any live decapod crustaceans in stores at any of its sites or online, and for 100% of its suppliers to be compliant with recognised farm assurance schemes from the likes of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Global GAP.
It has also made specific commitments to ensure that by 2026, 100% of the farmed Penaeus vannamei shrimp will be electrically stunned, and 100% of shrimp broodstock used to produce the post-larvae for Tesco will be ablation free.
Tesco said it is also reviewing its wild sourced decapod crustacean supply chains and a separate policy will be published for wild sourced in due course.
“Tesco’s public commitment to ensuring high welfare throughout the lifecycle (farming to slaughter) of farmed decapod crustaceans in their supply chain, is a bold and significant step towards recognising the sentience of these animals,” said Sophika Kostyniuk, managing director of Aquatic Life Institute. “This policy will no doubt ignite a positive ripple effect across the retail world, and we applaud Tesco’s leadership on this matter.”
Aquatic Life Institute said public concern surrounding methods used in farming, transport, and slaughter had increased following recent evidence that proves decapod crustaceans likely have capacity to feel pain and have complex cognitive capacity. It said this, in combination with the 2022 UK law that recognised decapod crustaceans as sentient beings, has established a need for higher industry welfare standards.
Aquatic Life Institute, along with organisations like Compassion in World Farming, has also been leading calls for a ban on octopus farming amid concern that some seafood companies are exploring the opportunity to farm octopuses in intensive systems.
