Published September 22, 2010 by PETA . Last Updated January 14, 2020.

Are you still throwing shrimp on the barbecue because you think that eating them is good for you? Nothing could be more skewered. In fact, the latest scientific research shows that eating shrimp may actually be hazardous to your health.

Here are the top 10 reasons to keep prawns off your plate:

1. Poop Cocktail

During cleaning, shrimp’s legs are torn off and they’re decapitated and disemboweled. As their bowels are ripped out, poop spills out and often gets all over the shrimp.

2. Extra Skin

Shrimp are bottom dwellers who feed on parasites and skin that they pick off dead animals. This means that every mouthful of scampi you eat comes with digested parasites and dead skin.

3. Toxic Jambalaya

Most shrimp who are eaten come from places that have no restrictions on traces of illegal contaminants, such as dioxins, PCBs, and other banned chemicals, or on pumping them full of hormones and antibiotics.

4. Dolphin-Safe Shrimp?

Trawling is taking a toll on the legions of wild creatures, including dolphins, who call the sea their home. Nets don’t discriminate.

5. Farming Destroys Fish, Too

Shrimp farming is fatal to fish. Because it takes up to 3 pounds of wild-caught fish to feed and produce a single pound of farmed shrimp, fish populations are plummeting.

6. Slave Labor

Almost all shrimp farms and shrimp processing plants are located in developing countries, where workers are forced to work long hours for minimal pay. Eating meat supports unethical employers.

7. Too Neat to Eat

With more than 2,500 species of shrimp out there, scientists are just beginning to scratch the surface of these fascinating animals’ largely unknown behavioral characteristics.

8. Cholesterol Bombs

With a whopping 152 milligrams of cholesterol per 100-gram serving of shrimp (four or five shrimp), just two servings would put you over the daily recommended allowance of 300 milligrams of cholesterol. No plant food in the world contains any cholesterol.

9. Fished to Extinction

A study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that at least 28 percent of the world’s freshwater shrimp species are threatened with extinction.

10. Shrimply Fantastic Faux

Forget the “reel deal”! More and more vegan shrimp dishes are making their way onto restaurant menus. You can also trawl the frozen-food section of your local supermarket or specialty store to find vegan shrimp and dozens of other mock meats.

If you’re fishing for a heart-smart way of eating that’s fish-friendly and good for the environment, a vegan diet is the perfect catch. The consumption of plant-based foods has been linked to better cardiovascular health as well as a decreased risk of developing cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

Take our Pledge to Go Vegan!

If you’re fishing for a heart-smart diet that is healthy, fish-friendly, and good for the environment, being vegan is the perfect catch. Plant-based diets have proved to reverse heart disease and reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity.