Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) are widely farmed and traded live across Asia, with significant welfare concerns about confinement, starvation, and inhumane slaughter in live markets.
Mud crab welfare in the live trade is severely compromised by practices developed without regard to crab sentience. Individual binding prevents normal movement and social behaviour. Extended periods without food or water during trade stress the animals physiologically. Claw removal without anaesthesia causes tissue damage and pain. Slaughter by boiling or freezing without prior stunning causes prolonged death. Scientific understanding of decapod crustacean sentience has advanced considerably, supporting the moral case for improved welfare standards throughout the mud crab supply chain.