5,000 signatures reached
To: The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Protect crustaceans at the time of killing
Immediately enforce the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2015 for decapod crustaceans and alert the industry that it will be doing this.
Establish comprehensive guidelines for legally compliant and high welfare killing methods that prioritise the well-being of crustaceans, like lobsters and crabs.
Remove the misleading information from the official news release that downplays the impact of recognising crustacean sentience on existing industry practices
Why is this important?
Considerable scientific research, consolidated in the government-commissioned London School of Economics (LSE) Review of the Evidence of Sentience in Cephalopod Molluscs and Decapod Crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, has highlighted the advanced nervous systems of crustaceans, confirming their capacity to feel pain and distress - including when being boiled alive.
Following the formal recognition of their sentience in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) should take immediate action to implement explicit guidelines for legally compliant and humane killing methods for decapod crustaceans.
By taking these steps, Defra can lead the way in promoting humane treatment, aligning its practices with the law and its ethical responsibilities. We call upon you to make a stand for the legal protection of crustaceans and to ensure that their welfare is considered.
We the undersigned firmly believe that it's time to replace pain with welfare at the time of killing for crustaceans.
The absence of clear guidelines around their killing methods leaves these creatures vulnerable to inhumane practices that go against our national values of compassion and ethical treatment for animals.
(www.gov.uk/government/news/lobsters-octopus-and-crabs-recognised-as-sentient-beings).
