Cooked prawns on ice
Eyestalk ablation involves crushing or cutting female prawns’ eye stalks to stimulate egg production © David Burton/Alamy
Laura Onita in London
Published
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The Co-op has become the latest UK supermarket chain to adopt more humane ways of farming and killing prawns after an outcry from welfare campaigners over cruel methods in the industry.
The retailer said on Tuesday it was introducing electrical stunning for all of its farmed prawns by 2027, instead of dropping them into ice slurry, which campaigners say can lead to a slow death by suffocation.
It has also ended the controversial practice of “eyestalk ablation”, a process in which female prawns’ eyes are crushed in order to stimulate egg production.
The Co-op joins other major supermarket chains such as Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and J Sainsbury, which have all made similar commitments amid calls from animal rights campaigners for better welfare protection for the hundreds of billions of prawns farmed every year.
The UK imports shrimp and prawns worth about £570mn annually, and about 630bn farmed prawns are slaughtered for consumption each year globally, according to the non-profit group Aquatic Life Institute. Of that number, up to 2mn female prawns undergo eyestalk ablation. 
This method, which involves crushing or cutting the prawn’s eye stalks, often causes “severe stress” and compromises the animal’s health, leading to high mortality rates, according to the institute.
The shift in policy at major supermarkets comes after UK legislation passed in 2022 recognised that crustaceans, including crabs, lobster, prawns and shrimp were sentient animals and able to experience pain, distress and harm.
“At Co-op we are committed to continuously improving animal welfare standards, and all our fresh and frozen prawns, including where used as an ingredient, are 100 per cent ablation free,” the company said. 
Cecilia Valenza at the Aquatic Life Institute hailed Co-op’s decision, saying it was “a true game-changer” and other retailers must follow suit. 
Earlier this year Waitrose said it would introduce electrical stunning for all its farmed prawns by the end of next year, having already phased out eyestalk ablation in its supply chain.
The International Council for Animal Welfare previously urged UK grocers including Asda, Wm Morrison and Iceland to commit to similar measures.
Asda and Iceland have been contacted for comment.
Morrisons said it took this issue “very seriously” and it was working with suppliers on coming up with credible commitments. It plans to share more details next month.

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I never realised this was a reality for those poor little beings, such cruelty, but more worrying is how they came to recognise eye ablation would produce more eggs, what twisted and demented person identified this horror.???...seems Dr Frankenstein was not a fictional tale, they just did not recognise animals or aquatic life.
what's shocking is that 'eyestalk ablation' only becomes well-known to consumers once retailers decide to ban it. I've heard of plenty poor/unethical/painful farming practicces but until Waitrose ban, not this. What other horrifying activity are they hiding from consumers in the name of cheap food/farming profitability? It's enough to make you reach for the tofu... more often, anway.

(still love a steak...)
(Edited)
I became vegan when I saw the pigs being killed without gas, cows are regularly raped and 20% of milk can legally include puss and blood-no matter the infection! I stopped wanting to know, recognised it was cruel and as I am a pretty good cook I took on the challenge and no one comes to my home and misses meat or dairy, and walks away pretty impressed and very full. I have rarely looked back.
(Edited)
Cows and indeed most animals are raped in the wild. Consent is frequently not sought in nature.
I wonder if they plan to discontinue selling halal meat, what’s that, no, I thought not.
The rivers in the UK are full of excrement but this is the real deal.
The country is swamped with it lol.
What a world we live in.
This method, which involves crushing or cutting the prawn’s eye stalks, often causes “severe stress” and compromises the animal’s health, leading to high mortality rates, according to the institute.
No 💩
Why are we reliant on producers here?

Aren't there legal consequences in the legislation - if not, whats the point of it?
Nothing on earth quite as evil as a human being.
Have to agree. No other animal tortures other animals. Except maybe cats.
Check out bears. Bears eat their prey alive. They're not bothered to kill it beforehand, in fact, all that flailing only makes them hungrier.
(Edited)
Orca's chuck seals about for fun, but the grand scale of human torture to the animal world is beyond comparison. We are truly evil....
This method, which involves crushing or cutting the prawn’s eye stalks, often causes “severe stress” and compromises the animal’s health

Surely for those of us who are not into shrimp biology an explanation could be given for the use of 'compromise' and 'stress', whose use seems to wildly understate what's happening.

what's happening is anthropomorphism - it’s hard to understate
the resulting adverse behavioural and physiological effects
"It has also ended the controversial practice of “eyestalk ablation”, a process in which female prawns’ eyes are crushed in order to stimulate egg production."

good grief, those poor little prawns
We do WHAT to their EYES!!! How could we be so shellfish!!!
Good. Youngsters today need less hard core prawn all this choking and blinding is corrupting them.
😂
This has just put me off my prawn cocktail. Yes, very 80's.
Steak, Black Forest Gateaux, Liebfraumilch. Final Salary Pensions and Home Ownership.

What a time. 🕰️
Don't forget the Schooner of sherry on arrival at the Berni Inn and perhaps a rum and black to finish off the evening.
Abigail's Party all round then.. cheese stick?