CUTS ANIMALS EYES OFF
Iceland shamefully puts prawns through unimaginable suffering. Prawns have their eyes cut off while they are fully conscious. Others are suffocated to death, condemned to slow agony.
Iceland has blood on their hands.
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Iceland falls
behind on
Animal welfare.
While leading brands like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Ocado and Co-op have taken bold steps to end cruel practices in prawn farming, Iceland has fallen shamefully behind. These competitors have made clear commitments to phase out cutting mother prawns eyes off and suffocating prawns in ice sludge.
Iceland knows where their prawns are coming from: India, Vietnam and Ecuador (Iceland Responsible Sourcing Map). Prawn suppliers in Southeast Asia routinely cut off the eyes of mother prawns. Footage shows that prawns are left to suffocate in ice slurry while being fully conscious. Iceland does not seem to acknowledge these animal cruelty issues.
It’s time for Iceland to publicly commit to put an end to this! They can stop this horror for all prawns in their supply chain, with a designated transition timeline.
images representative of a typical shrimp facility
IF TESCO CAN DO IT,
why Not ICELAND?
Across Europe, the following companies are phasing out eyestalk ablation and suffocation, adopting humane practices instead:
Do you know about ICELAND’s Prawns?
Watch the video and find out the truth!
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The HORRIFIC TRUTH About
PRAWN Farming
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Female prawns used for breeding have one eye cut off while fully conscious. It is carried out using either a hot scissor or pinched out with a tool. This cruel mutilation called “eyestalk ablation” is totally unnecessary and is being phased out by retailers across Europe.
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Prawns left to die in ice slurry will violently flap and struggle to escape the cold. Recent research by the University of Stirling shows significant brain activity - which raises concerns that the animal may suffocate while fully conscious. This is completely unnecessary as alternatives render the animals unconscious immediately.
Prawns are the world’s most farmed animal - with several hundred billion alive at any point in time. Many customers choose seafood as a more sustainable option over chicken. Sadly, for every chicken life spared more than 100 prawns have to endure this painful death.
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Prawns, like all decapod crustaceans, are recognized as sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and distress. Several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, and Norway, have integrated this information into their animal welfare laws. However, in commercial prawn farming these animals are still treated as if they were vegetables, with no regard to their needs. Iceland knowingly continues to participate in these cruel practices.
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Did you know that prawn eyes are cut off?
Many customers do not yet know how prawns are slaughtered. When confronted with an infographic however, a large majority of Brits agree that prawns deserve to be spared unnecessary suffering and that the suffocation in ice slurry is “a big problem”, according to a small-scale study carried out in 2023. Upcoming investigative campaigns revealing the disgusting truth of the slaughter process will increase public awareness even further.
People do not want to buy prawns that are going through horrible pain - especially considering there are more humane alternatives that are easy and cheap to implement.
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Cutting animals' eyes off to increase egg production is cruel and unnecessary. New research shows that this mutilation is totally useless and even increases the mortality of the baby prawns.
Unlike suffocation in ice slurry, electrical stunning renders prawns insensible almost immediately. Electrical stunning has been recognized as the most humane method to slaughter decapod crustaceans, including prawns!
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Prawn farms around the world are installing electrical stunning equipment. The stunning machines are commercially available, relatively cheap and one machine has enough capacity to serve multiple farms. Many of the world's biggest prawn producers totalling 10% of the global market share are already starting to implement this technology. What they need is a binding commitment from supermarkets like Co-op to buy humanely raised and slaughtered prawns.
Stopping the scientifically controversial practice of eyestalk ablation has multiple benefits: Prawns mothers that keep their eyestalks may even produce more eggs and live longer than those that have them removed. Their offspring grow just as well and may live more healthy lives. This means hatcheries can be just as productive without cutting prawns eyes off.
Iceland disappoints on
‘Doing it right’
Iceland knows where their prawn comes from. They know about the problems and they are aware that they can be solved with a little dedication to ‘Doing it right’.
Yet, Iceland is missing a clear timeline for stopping this cruelty!
This lack of decisive leadership leaves countless animals suffering and betrays the trust of Iceland customers. It’s time for Iceland to publicly promise to end cutting prawns eyes off and suffocating them to death — no more excuses!
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Do you believe
torturing animals
is wrong?
Call on ICELAND to stop this cruelty!
Iceland has a promise of ‘Doing it right.’ You as a customer have
the right to hold them to this promise.
While other supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have spoken out boldly against cruel practices in prawn farming, Iceland remains silent.
Iceland needs to catch up and promise to end this horror soon!
