The evidence for pain in decapod crustaceans has shifted scientific and policy consensus toward treating them as sentient beings.
The standard practice of dropping live crustaceans into boiling water is increasingly recognized as likely to cause significant suffering. The LSE review of 300 studies concluded with high confidence that decapod crustaceans are sentient. The welfare implications are enormous given the billions killed annually globally in food production, aquaculture, and the live trade. Electrical or ice stunning before killing is a readily available and effective alternative.