Animal welfare requirements are becoming one of the new standards shaping global seafood trade. If previously viewed primarily as an ethical issue in production, it has now transitioned into a mandatory technical barrier across many major importing markets, especially the European Union (EU).

The "ticket" into the EU market

European consumers are increasingly concerned about how animals are raised, transported, and processed. This trend is forcing major retail chains to elevate seafood procurement standards, including those for tropical shrimp.

From 2026, multiple major retail systems in the EU and the UK—such as Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose—require shrimp to be completely stunned before primary processing, replacing traditional cold-shock methods. This means that enterprises must not only satisfy quality or food safety requirements but also prove that their production processes are more humane toward livestock.

This is regarded as a turning-point change for the global shrimp supply chain. If previously enterprises could handle multiple barriers via certification dossiers or administrative procedures, animal welfare requirements now force them to make genuine investments in technology and operational processes.

Accordingly, processing factories must invest in electrical stunning systems, alter harvesting procedures, and enhance controls over live shrimp transportation. At the farming stage, the EU is also tightening requirements on stocking density, environmental conditions, and limiting harmful practices toward broodstock at hatcheries. Many new standards even mandate continuous monitoring via cameras or water environment sensors to control livestock stress levels.

Notably, these requirements are rapidly transforming from ethical recommendations into mandatory conditions to maintain supplier status. This shifts the animal welfare narrative away from pure social responsibility and turns it into a direct competitive condition in the EU market.

On a positive note, satisfying animal welfare standards also unlocks opportunities for Vietnam's shrimp industry to escape low-price competition. Shrimp raised under low-stress conditions typically exhibit better muscle quality, more appealing coloration, and lower mortality rates. This elevates product value and creates opportunities to participate deeper in premium segments.

Digital transformation – the key to ensuring farmed shrimp welfare

To satisfy these new requirements, the shrimp industry cannot merely rely on traditional experience but needs to transition toward a management model driven by data and digital technology.

For many years, digital transformation in shrimp farming was commonly understood as automated feeding, utilizing environmental sensors, or remote pond control systems. However, a new approach is being strongly driven forward: digital transformation serving shrimp welfare management.

Speaking at the Seminar on "Applying Digital Solutions and Databases for Fisheries Development" within the framework of the recent VinaFis Expo 2026, a representative from the Food and Agriculture Institute (FAI) shared that this approach treats data as the core foundation to monitor the health, living environment, and stress levels of shrimp throughout the farming process. Instead of subjective assessments, farmers can rely on specific indicators related to the water environment, nutrition, health, and behavior to adjust production processes promptly.

Digital tools such as mobile applications, sensor systems, and data storage platforms are making management more visual and effective. Farmers can update data right at the ponds, monitor fluctuations over time, and rapidly detect risks affecting livestock welfare.

“Data standardized according to scientific thresholds helps farmers clearly define the optimal, acceptable, or critical state of each indicator. This is an important step forward helping the shrimp farming industry shift from an experience-based production model to a data- and science-driven model,” the FAI representative emphasized.

Beyond serving internal management, data also becomes a tool to prove production responsibility to clients and importers. Not only that, digital transformation helps bridge the gap between scientific research and farmers. Through online training platforms, scientific knowledge regarding shrimp welfare is transformed into simple, easy-to-apply guidance right at the farm. Farmers can access multilingual courses using just a smartphone, thereby improving management skills and standardizing production processes.

More importantly, this digital transformation model is highly inclusive, fitting even smallholder farmers who account for the majority of the shrimp farming area in Vietnam. The tools are designed with low costs, high accessibility, and ease of use, allowing small-scale farmers the opportunity to participate in the global supply chain.

In the long run, welfare data can become part of the certification and branding systems for Vietnamese shrimp. Enterprises can utilize this data to demonstrate commitments to sustainable production, thereby generating a competitive edge in premium markets.

In the context of global trade decisively shifting toward green and transparent standards, the capability to apply digital technology to guarantee animal welfare will be the key helping Vietnam's shrimp industry elevate its value, safeguard export markets, and develop sustainably in the future.

The EU is one of the critical export markets for Vietnamese shrimp. In 2025, Vietnam's shrimp export turnover to the EU recorded robust growth, reaching 579.8 million USD, a 19.9% increase compared to 2024, accounting for 12.6% of the total shrimp export turnover. However, to maintain market share in the EU, the shrimp industry is forced to adapt timely to these new benchmarks.

Source: Tap chi Thuy san Viet Nam