Of all the animals we eat, prawns appear on British plates the most – by individual count, even more than chickens. A large portion are tropical species, farmed and imported. The UK government recognises they are sentient and capable of feeling pain. But do consumers know what they are eating?
In standard prawn farming, breeding females have one eyestalk cut off while alive to stimulate egg production. At slaughter, prawns are placed in ice-water baths and often suffocate while still conscious.
When consumers are shown footage of these practices, the reaction is almost universally the same: shock and empathy. As one customer put it: “If you did that to your pet dog, you’d get locked up.”
The question “do prawns matter?” has moved from academic papers into The Times and The Guardian. And the UK grocery sector has responded almost unanimously, banning both practices and introducing the alternative (electrical stunning) at remarkable speed.
The fastest welfare shift in UK grocery history?
It all started with Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, which were piloting shrimp welfare interventions as early as 2023, including a ban on eyestalk ablation.
However, until two years ago, no other UK supermarkets had set a timeline to ban ablation or end the suffocation of prawns in ice slurry. Today, 10 of 11 have pledged to end both by 2028 at the latest. This may be the fastest adoption of a new animal welfare standard in UK grocery history.
In mid-2024, Tesco set a public deadline, following a campaign by the non-profit animal protection organisation Mercy for Animals. Sainsbury’s and Ocado followed within months. In 2025, Waitrose, Co-op, and Morrisons set their own deadlines. Even discounter Iceland followed after a public outcry that included the world’s biggest prawn welfare protest in London. This year, Asda pledged in February, and Lidl GB just confirmed it had already eliminated eyestalk ablation from its core range, with electrical stunning being introduced by the end of 2026.
What made this shift work is that the steps we ask are pragmatic – ban two of the worst practices, introduce electrical stunning and set a clear, public timeline for doing this.
Why timelines matter
The distinction between a general aspiration and a public, time-bound commitment is not semantic. When a retailer sets a deadline, everyone knows what is expected and when. Seafood suppliers adjust their sourcing requirements. Producers install stunning equipment. Consumers can hold the company to account.
A vague statement of intent creates none of that. A commitment without a timeline is not a commitment – it is a press statement with no accountability.
In our view, the case for action is clear and straightforward to implement. Tell hatcheries to stop cutting off the eyes of live animals and instead focus on humane ways to increase natural reproduction. Tell prawn producers to use electrical stunning. The available evidence points toward it rendering animals unconscious within seconds, which may then be followed up by submersion in ice slurry for slaughter.
An industry organisation has offered to provide stunning equipment to producers at no cost, and leading certification bodies can audit and support the transition.
Calling on Aldi to set a deadline
Of the 11 major UK supermarkets, only Aldi has not set a public timeline on electrical stunning. It states that it “acknowledge[s] that electrical stunning is considered best practice” and is “actively engaging with supply chain partners to explore and follow the latest scientific guidance”. It references pilot projects. But it has not told its customers by which date the prawns on its shelves will be humanely slaughtered.
The contrast with Aldi’s 10 competitors is clear. Every other major UK supermarket has stated publicly, with a specific year, when they will have completed the transition. Aldi’s language – “exploring”, “engaging”, “actively working” – describes a vague process, not a clear pledge.
The UK grocery sector deserves credit for how quickly it has moved on prawn welfare. What began with two retailers has quickly become an industry standard once clear deadlines were established. The question is: will Aldi join this effort, or remain the only major supermarket in the UK that refuses to commit to a reasonable timeline?
We believe the speed of this shift is a direct result of public debate. We will remain focused on fostering this conversation until every major retailer across Europe has set a clear, time-bound pledge – Aldi included.
Jonas Becker is head of invertebrate welfare policy at the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW)
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