Decapod crustaceans including crabs and lobsters are now legally recognised as sentient in the UK, raising welfare questions about live transportation and killing methods used commercially.
Decapod crustacean welfare has legal standing in the UK following the 2022 Sentience Act - this changes the ethical framework for live crab and lobster handling from 'irrelevant' to 'legally relevant.' Boiling live crustaceans is likely to cause significant suffering given the evidence for nociception and pain-like states in these animals. Humane killing methods (rapid mechanical destruction of neural ganglia, electrical stunning to unconsciousness before killing) are commercially available and have been implemented in progressive food businesses. The transition from live boiling to humane killing requires awareness, training and equipment investment - but the welfare case following legal sentience recognition is clear.