Scientific evidence that crayfish can experience pain and stress is reshaping discussions about welfare standards for farmed and traded crustaceans in food systems worldwide.
The evidence for crayfish pain and stress experience has reached the point where continuing to boil or drown them without consideration of suffering is ethically indefensible. The UK decision to extend welfare protections to decapod crustaceans reflects the growing scientific consensus that these animals have the neural architecture required for aversive experience. Farmed crayfish operations that scale to millions of animals without any welfare standards represent a significant and largely invisible source of animal suffering. Electrical stunning prior to slaughter and improved holding conditions are practical welfare improvements that the industry should adopt.