Boiling Lobsters Alive Can Be Banned Completely As Per The New UK Legislation

25 November 2021

Of many animals that are consumed by humans, crabs, octopuses, and lobsters are one as well. A report by the UK government says that these animals are sentient. This means, beyond pain, they feel happiness and excitement, which makes them more 'human-like. This means they will no longer be boiled alive, says the report. These findings are changing the future of animal protection legislation. 

Sea creatures are not being recognized as sentient beings, as the report also finds that cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans can feel pain. The London School of Economics and Political Science compiled the report, which looked at 300 scientific studies to determine whether these animals are sentient beings. The sea creatures will now be included in the upcoming Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill as a result of the findings. 

Until now, the old bill exclusively recognized vertebrates as sentient beings. Despite the lack of a backbone, certain aquatic species have sophisticated neurological systems. The LSE discovered solid evidence for these, laying the framework for reform.

"Sentience is the capacity to have feelings, such as feelings of pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, warmth, joy, comfort, and excitement. It is not simply the capacity to feel pain, but feelings of pain, distress or harm, broadly understood, have a special significance for animal welfare law," reads the report.

The paper includes specific commercial practices recommendations. It recommends against declawing (removing one or both of a crab's claws) and nicking (cutting a crab's claw tendon). The selling of live decapod crustaceans to untrained, non-expert hands should be prohibited, according to the researchers. They also advocated for a prohibition on some types of decapod slaughter, such as boiling them alive, boosting the temperature of the water, and any kind of mutilation.

Speaking about this, the Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said, "The UK has always led the way on animal welfare, and our Action Plan for Animal Welfare goes even further by setting out our plans to bring in some of the strongest protections in the world for pets, livestock, and wild animals."

While this is a great step, in order to negate any animal killing and also cater to people's choices of having such foods, there are many alternatives coming up and giving an opportunity to develop many plant-based alternatives. In the UK, there are many alternatives. For instance, VBites fish filets are a seamless substitute for real fish and chips. Konjac-based vegan shrimp is trending in Europe. Also, in Germany, Netherlands, and Italy, Vuna or vegan tuna is already creating a sensation. These are some of the very few options that are trending currently. 

The current announcement of the new law in the UK will not affect any existing practices such as fishing. It will also not affect any shellfishing practices. This move was mainly made to ensure animal welfare is well looked upon and considered in future decision-making.