Aquatic Animals

Farmed Crab and Lobster Welfare

The boiling and dismembering of live crustaceans is standard practice globally, but growing scientific evidence of their sentience is driving regulatory reform in some jurisdictions.

Key Facts

Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, and the UK have recognized crustacean sentience in legislation or policy
Scientific reviews including the Birch Report (2021) concluded crustaceans likely have subjective experiences
Electrical stunning before boiling renders crabs and lobsters insensible within milliseconds
Approximately 400 million crabs and lobsters are killed for food annually in the US alone

Welfare Considerations

The boiling of live crustaceans causes behavioral and physiological stress responses consistent with pain. The scale of crustacean use means even moderate probability of sentience translates to enormous potential suffering. Simple stunning devices are available and effective. The welfare case for mandatory pre-kill stunning is strong and economically feasible.

What You Can Do

Use an electrical crustacean stunner if cooking crabs or lobsters at home
Support restaurants and retailers that commit to pre-stunned crustaceans
Advocate for crustacean welfare legislation in your country
Support research into crustacean sentience and pain perception
Reduce consumption of crustaceans unless you can source from operations using humane killing methods