Growing scientific evidence suggests crabs and lobsters have capacity for pain, raising significant welfare concerns about current fishing and processing practices.
The evidence for crustacean sentience has moved from speculative to scientifically credible over the past decade. If crabs and lobsters can suffer — and the precautionary case is now strong — then the current practice of live boiling represents one of the most widespread and routine welfare failures in the food system. The availability of effective stunning methods means this suffering is preventable at reasonable cost.