Red king crabs are a high-value fishery species caught alive and traded globally, with welfare challenges throughout capture, holding, and transport that current regulations largely ignore.
Red king crab welfare in capture fisheries and live trade faces the same fundamental challenges as other decapod crustaceans. Pot fishing causes injury during entrapment, and prolonged holding in crowded conditions before transport causes physiological stress. Live boiling causes suffering for extended periods before death. The high commercial value of live king crab means there is economic incentive to maintain welfare of animals destined for market, though this incentive applies to physical integrity rather than subjective experience. Regulatory extension of animal welfare protections to decapod crustaceans would create the framework for improved standards throughout the king crab supply chain.