Campaigners celebrate animal welfare win to ban boiling crabs and lobsters alive

Animal welfare organisation Crustacean Compassion has welcomed today’s announcement in the Government’s published Animal Welfare Strategy that live boiling of lobsters and crabs ‘is not an acceptable killing method’.

Defra set to back a ban live boiling of lobsters and crabs under UK law.

Guidance on methods of killing to be clarified in animal welfare action plan

Decapod crustaceans recognised as sentient in 2022, meaning they can feel pain.

Humane alternative: electrical stunning before slaughter.

In today’s Animal Welfare Strategy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that it will be issuing new guidance to prohibit live boiling of conscious crustaceans like crabs and lobsters. The move follows years of research, campaigning and public advocacy led by Crustacean Compassion, which has long called for stronger protections for these sentient animals.

Chief Executive of Crustacean Compassion Dr Ben Sturgeon told That's Food and Drink: “We wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s intentions to ban the live boiling of conscious crustaceans and address other areas of welfare compromise.

"Recognising the sentience of crabs, lobsters, and other decapod crustaceans, and banning inhumane practices like live boiling, is a vital step forward for animal welfare. 

"When live, conscious decapod crustaceans are placed into a pot of boiling water, they endure several minutes of excruciating pain before they die. This is torture for crabs and lobsters and is completely avoidable.

"Throughout the supply chain humane alternatives, such as electrical stunning prior to slaughter, are readily available and ensure these animals are killed swiftly and without unnecessary suffering. This guidance will give both industry and consumers the clarity and tools they need to treat these animals with the respect they deserve. Today’s announcement is a positive step forward for lobsters and crabs.”

Decapod crustacean animals like crabs, lobsters, and prawns were recognised as being able to feel pain through robust scientific evidence back in 2022 and since then campaigners have been calling for stronger protection to follow. Defra and the seafood industry have been working to provide humane practices across the supply chain, in line with rising consumer demand and commercial pressure.

Dr Sturgeon went on to say: “Today’s announcement shows what’s possible when science, public compassion and sustained advocacy come together. We’re proud of this achievement, and we’re even more motivated to continue improving protections for crustaceans in other areas.”

https://www.crustaceancompassion.org

Animal Welfare Campaigners Call For End of Boiling Crustaceans Alive

Animal welfare campaigners are furious over the mistreatment of crabs and lobsters, calling on the Labour government make 2025 the year Britain bans boiling animals alive. 

With public concern growing, advocates say it’s time to end this cruel practice once and for all.

Led by Crustacean Compassion, activists, celebrities, and animal welfare organisations -  including Compassion in World Farming, Animal Aid, Humane World for Animals and the Animal Law Foundation - gathered outside Westminster to turn up the heat on the UK government. 

Their message to newly appointed Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds was clear: to outlaw the painful and outdated practice of boiling sentient decapod crustaceans like crabs, prawns, and lobsters alive.

“Boiling animals alive is a cruel practice that has no place today” TV presenter Wendy Turner Webster, ambassador for Crustacean Compassion, told That's Food and Drink.

“Scientific evidence  shows animals like crabs and lobsters do feel pain, yet they remain unprotected under legalisation and the suffering continues, unchecked. We’re urging the government to act swiftly to end this needless cruelty.”

Since the inclusion of decapod crustaceans in Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, campaigners have waited for stronger legal protections to follow, protection that still hasn’t arrived, despite overwhelming scientific consensus that these animals feel pain. There are no regulations, no legislation and no protection for decapod crustaceans.

CEO of Crustacean Compassion, Dr Ben Sturgeon added: “When live, conscious decapod crustaceans are placed into a pot of boiling water, they endure several minutes of excruciating, agonising pain before they die. This is torture for crabs and lobsters and is completely avoidable. 

"The science is settled, the public is concerned, and the cruelty is undeniable. The law must follow. The government has done little to protect these animals, but we can change that. Let’s make 2025 the year we ban boiling alive.”

Recent polling shows public support for protection is strong:

65% of people back a ban on boiling crabs and lobsters alive

75% support humane slaughter methods for decapod crustaceans in restaurants

The public wants compassion to become the standard – and so do chefs. Crustacean Compassion’s new ‘Kinder Kitchens’ campaign is helping culinary professionals move away from cruel practices like boiling alive and adopt humane alternatives such as electrical stunning which renders crustaceans unconscious before they’re killed, preventing them feeling pain.

Dr Ben Sturgeon continues: "We’re seeing a real appetite for change. Chefs and seafood professionals want to do better, they’re asking for guidance and embracing humane methods like electrical stunning. Kinder Kitchens is about supporting that transition and ensuring the industry is ready to lead with compassion once boiling alive is banned."

As pressure mounts on the government to act, campaigners are urging policymakers to listen to the science, reflect public sentiment, and take decisive action to protect decapod crustaceans from needless suffering. With growing industry support for humane alternatives and overwhelming public backing, the message is clear: boiling animals alive belongs in the past and 2025 must be the year Britain leads with compassion and bans this cruel practice for good.