Crustaceans are increasingly recognized as sentient beings capable of suffering. Live storage and slaughter practices for crabs and lobsters warrant urgent welfare attention.
The welfare of crustaceans in food systems has moved from fringe concern to mainstream scientific and regulatory attention. The evidence that crabs, lobsters, and other decapods have the neural architecture and behavioral repertoire associated with pain experience is now sufficient to have prompted formal legislative protection in several jurisdictions. The practical welfare implications are significant: live boiling without stunning, prolonged live storage in cramped tanks, and handling during transport all potentially cause suffering to beings capable of experiencing it. The good news is that welfare improvements are technically feasible - electrical stunning equipment exists and is commercially available, and it is effective. The welfare case for stunning before slaughter and minimizing live holding stress is supported by both ethical principles and the developing scientific evidence.