Lobsters are increasingly recognised as sentient animals, making live transport and killing practices significant welfare concerns with growing regulatory attention.
The evidence for lobster sentience and capacity for pain has strengthened substantially. Lobsters show avoidance learning, protective responses to injury, and physiological stress markers. Live transport in cramped, undersupplied conditions causes prolonged stress. Extended live holding in tanks involves density and handling stress. Boiling without stunning causes clear escape behaviour and potentially prolonged suffering during death. Welfare-conscious lobster handling includes minimising live holding duration, avoiding crowding, and using humane killing methods including electrocution or spiking.