Cooking a live lobster will soon be banned in the UK. The British government announced on Friday that they are updating the animal welfare law. Octopuses, crabs and lobsters will now also be included. That happens after about 300 studies that show that crustaceans and molluscs have feelings.
In some countries, including Switzerland and New Zealand, cooking shellfish live is already illegal. Now the British government also announced on Friday that decapods, an order of crustaceans, cephalopods and a class of molluscs, are among the Animal Welfare Bill will fall. It concerns animals such as octopuses, squids, crabs, lobsters to shrimps. Unlike some other backboneless animals, decapod crustaceans and cephalopods have a complex central nervous system. One of the most important features of consciousness. “Octopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but until now there was no protection outside of it,” said Jonathan Birch, a professor at LSE who worked on the study.
The finding follows a dispute over the animal welfare law, which recognizes all vertebrates as living things. The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation presented its own report to the government, arguing that crustaceans and molluscs also have feelings. The ministers followed this up and asked the London School of Economics and Political Science to conduct independent investigations. And guess what: The report, published this month, found “strong evidence” that such animals are susceptible.
No consequences for restaurants
In addition to not cooking the animals alive, the report also made specific recommendations, including: a ban on the declawing of crabs, a ban on the sale of live crabs and lobsters to ‘untrained, unskilled persons’ and a ban on the above slaughter methods where a viable alternative exists.
In the announcement, the British government said the law is in place “to ensure that animal welfare is properly considered in future decision-making”. Thus, the law would not affect existing legislation or industrial practices such as fishing. There is no further direct impact on the shellfish catch or on the restaurant industry.
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