The sentience of shrimp is a topic of debate among scientists. There is evidence to suggest that shrimp possess some level of sentience, as shrimp have a nervous system that enables them to respond to their environment, avoid predators and find food. They exhibit behaviours that indicate that they can sense and respond to various stimuli, such as light, temperature and chemical cues. Some studies have shown that shrimp exhibit avoidance behaviours in response to noxious stimuli, which suggests they may experience some form of pain or discomfort.

Shrimp sentience has been recognised by scientists in the European Union. In 2005, the European Food Safety Authority of the EU published its Scientific Opinion on the “Aspects of the biology and welfare of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes.” The report recommended that all decapods should be in Category 1 and so receive “protection”. Category 1 animals are defined as those animals for which the scientific evidence clearly indicates that those groups of animals are able to experience pain and distress, or the evidence, either directly or by analogy with animals in the same taxonomic group(s), suggests that these animals are able to experience pain.

In 2021, scientists from the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK) published a report titled “Review of the Evidence of Sentience in Cephalopod Molluscs and Decapod Crustaceans.” The report’s central recommendation was that all cephalopod molluscs (such as octopus and squid) and decapod crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters and shrimps) be regarded as sentient. In April 2022, the UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act passed through the UK government becoming law and recognised shrimp sentience.

Shrimp welfare has been largely overlooked to date. Shrimp Welfare Project is one of the first organisations that has looked into the farming of shrimp and shrimp welfare in detail.