All major UK retailers have now committed to time-bound prawn welfare commitments as Aldi pledges to improve treatment across its global markets.
The German discounter has pledged to implement electrical stunning (or similarly effective methods) for all warm water prawns by 2035 and to phase out eyestalk ablation by the end of 2030 for king prawns, and the end of 2031 for tiger prawns.
Aldi is the first retailer to commit across global markets in a single pledge, which animal rights campaigners have said will “make effective stunning the norm well beyond Europe”.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Ocado became the first retailers to commit to more humane prawn stunning methods in 2024. Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons and Iceland followed in 2025 with Asda and Lidl making pledges in 2026.
“Two years ago, not a single major UK supermarket had set a timeline to introduce humane stunning for prawns,” said Jonas Becker, head of invertebrate welfare policy for the International Council for Animal Welfare. “We are witnessing first-hand how fast public awareness of an animal welfare issue can change corporate policy.”
He added: “What makes Aldi’s commitment stand out is that it is the first of its kind to go beyond a single market – covering Europe, the USA and Australia. We believe the global scale of this pledge will help make effective stunning the norm well beyond Europe.”
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An Aldi spokesperson said many of its prawn suppliers were already transitioning to higher-welfare ablation-free methods. It is also investing in a research project, set to conclude in 2028, to assess the effectiveness of electrical stunning and other potentially higher-welfare methods for warm water prawns.
“We continue to work closely with our supply chain partners and recognised certification standards to maintain verifiable high animal welfare standards,” the retailer said in its Fish and Seafood Factsheet. “We recognise the sentience of finfish and decapod crustaceans and expect our suppliers to handle all living organisms in their care responsibly and with respect.”
Becker said the organisation would turn its attention to ensuring firms stick to their commitments, as several retailers have implementation deadlines coming up as early as the end of this year.
Aldi has committed to annual public progress reporting.
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