Langoustines are commercially important decapod crustaceans harvested by both bottom trawl and creel fisheries, with welfare considerations raised by their sentience recognition under recent legislation.
Langoustine welfare is an emerging area given their recognition as sentient beings under UK law. Trawling captures langoustines through physical disturbance of their burrow systems, causing capture stress and potential physical injury. On vessels, live langoustines held in tanks may experience overcrowding and suboptimal water quality. At markets, langoustines are often sold live and chilled, with slaughter by boiling or ice without prior stunning. Evidence for pain experience in langoustines is growing, making the transition from assumption of non-sentience to evidence-based welfare assessment essential. Creel fishing, by capturing animals more gently with lower bycatch, may be preferable from a welfare perspective.