Posted on the 9th June 2025
Animal protections have advanced encouragingly in recent decades, but one group of species has been almost entirely absent from the conversation: decapod crustaceans.
Decapod crustaceans include crabs, lobsters, prawns, shrimps, nephrops (known as langoustines) and crayfish and, fascinatingly, inhabit almost every corner of the world! They’ve been around a long time too, evolving nearly 450 million years ago, and while they might not be fluffy or cute to some, animal rights tell us that they are equally deserving of respect and compassion.
A government report published in November 2021 concluded that decapod crustaceans do indeed feel pain. A year later, in 2022, they were formally recognised as “sentient” for the first time in UK legislation – and yet, they remain completely unprotected by law.
Decapod crustaceans in the food industry
Every year, over 420 million decapod crustaceans are ‘landed’ by UK vessels into UK ports and a further five billion are imported. Our friends at UK charity Crustacean Compassion have identified poor welfare at every step of the ‘sea to plate’ journey including capture, live transport, storage, stunning and slaughter. These delicate creatures are exposed to unimaginable harms, such as declawing, live dismemberment, ‘eyestalk ablation’ (where the eyestalks of female prawns are torn off to encourage reproduction) and being boiled alive.
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Destroying the eyestalks of female prawns and shrimps disrupts natural hormones, forcing increased egg production for the industry.
Most people know about crustaceans who are killed for the food industry, but few are aware of crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans being harmed and killed in laboratories. Most animals in laboratories are covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, known as ASPA. ASPA is permissive, allowing the infliction of “pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm” on animals with some level of protection. However, we know the protection provided by ASPA is inadequate: animals have been steamed or starved to death, drowned and trapped in cages to die, and nobody has ever faced prosecution.
Scandalously, crustaceans are not even covered by ASPA, meaning they have no protection at all. When a question on this issue was raised in parliament, it received the following answer: “(Defra) is responsible for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which provides a framework for animal protection and welfare. It is therefore within Defra’s expertise to consider if decapods should come under the Animal Welfare Act. Such action would then have implications for the use of decapods in scientific research”. Once again, delay and discussion rather than science-led action – all while animals continue to suffer and die.
Shockingly, decapod crustaceans are some of the only animals allowed to be sold online by retailers like Amazon and mailed alive in the post. Not only does this involve them being trapped in packages or at risk of injury, but they are then at the mercy of untrained members of the public who are able to store and slaughter them however they choose. Many crabs and lobsters are dismembered while fully conscious or boiled alive.
A polystyrene box containing live lobsters, sent in the post.
Image credit: Crustacean Compassion
Tuesday 10 June, Crustacean Compassion Day, is a day to raise our collective voice for these incredible animals and to shine a light on the challenges they face. Here are some ways you can get involved:
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