Scientific evidence increasingly supports that lobsters and other crustaceans experience pain, and humane killing methods before cooking are now legally required in several countries.
Boiling lobsters alive is a common cooking practice that causes significant welfare concerns given emerging evidence of crustacean sentience. More humane killing methods are available: splitting the head rapidly with a knife, or using electrical stunners, renders the lobster insensible before cooking. The welfare cost of switching methods is minimal for cooks; the welfare benefit for lobsters may be substantial. As scientific understanding develops, cultural practices can and should adapt.