AquaExpo panel: Retailers' increasing shrimp welfare demands will require cooperation across the supply chain

Skretting, Cofimar, and MSD Animal Health representatives at the “New paths toward sustainability: How DNA traceability and alternative ingredients are shaping the future of shrimp farming" panel at the 2024 AquaExpo
Skretting, Cofimar, and MSD Animal Health representatives at the “New paths toward sustainability: How DNA traceability and alternative ingredients are shaping the future of shrimp farming" panel at the 2024 AquaExpo | Photo courtesy of Sustainable Shrimp Partnership
6 Min

Inter-industry cooperation across the supply chain is needed now more than ever to meet increasing consumer demands for traceability, sustainability, and animal welfare in the shrimp-farming industry, according to a panel of executives during the recent AquaExpo conference in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The panel, “New paths toward sustainability: How DNA traceability and alternative ingredients are shaping the future of shrimp farming,” said the shrimp industry’s future success depends on its ability to integrate technology, sustainability, and collaboration among companies and international markets.

One example of a collaboration achieving those goals, according to the panel, is the alliance between Dutch retail chain Albert Heijn; Dutch shrimp importer Klaas Puul; Ecuadorian shrimp-farming firm Cofimar; Norwegian feed producer Skretting; and U.S. animal healthcare information, technologies, and veterinary services provider MSD Animal Health.

Cofimar Sales and Marketing Coordinator Peter Grunauer said the impetus for starting the alliance, at least from his company’s perspective, was that it noticed increasing interest from supermarkets to ensure their supply of shrimp prioritized animal treatment and welfare. That meant companies were beginning to require complete traceability, and transparent information concerning issues such as slaughter methods and eyestalk ablation.

Regarding ablation, MSD Animal Health Global Business Aqua Lead Martin Haberfield said science-based methods to prove ablation is not taking place are needed, as “photos, videos, and other controls are simply not enough.” 

He said at Cofimar once egg-producing females are slaughtered and headed, it sends the heads to MSD Animal Health’s laboratories. Scientists there can visually confirm that the head still contains both eyes, and then, they take a DNA sample to obtain the genotype from the female heads. The DNA register can then be used as a reference archive to sample different shrimp and reference back to non-ablated mothers.

One such supermarket demanding …


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