{"id":330466,"date":"2025-12-22T21:48:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T21:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/330466\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T21:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T21:48:15","slug":"boiling-live-lobsters-to-be-banned-under-animal-rights-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/330466\/","title":{"rendered":"Boiling live lobsters to be banned under animal rights reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boiling live lobsters and crabs will be banned by ministers under animal rights reforms.<\/p>\n

In its animal welfare strategy, published on Monday, the government said that \u201clive boiling is not an acceptable killing method\u201d, while also setting out new farming standards and banning trail hunting. <\/p>\n

The strategy, which sets out a series of protections for pets, farmed animals and wild animals, said the government would publish guidance on the best way to kill decapod crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and prawns.<\/p>\n

It comes after a new law under the previous Tory government declared the animals were sentient and capable of experiencing pain. <\/p>\n

Other methods of dispatching shellfish include electrocution or freezing to stun them before boiling them. Suppliers and restaurateurs warned that electrical stunning devices cost about \u00a33,500.<\/p>\n

Robin Hancock, one of the co-founders of Wright Brothers, a leading seafood supplier which has three restaurants in London, said: \u201cWith hospitality rather on its knees they do cost over \u00a33,500 per machine. They\u2019re not that small either.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I think in summary, of course people care about animal welfare, it\u2019s just the practicalities of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emma<\/p>\n

Emma Reynolds<\/p>\n

IAN DAVIDSON\\ALAMY<\/p>\n

Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, said the UK was \u201ca nation of animal lovers\u201d and claimed the government is \u201cdelivering the most ambitious animal welfare strategy in a generation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Farmers warned that plans to scrap cages for chickens and pigs could threaten British farming if not matched by higher welfare standards for imported meat, as countries with lower standards could offer cheaper produce.<\/p>\n

But No 10 did not rule out using tariffs to stop British farmers being undercut by foreign imports.<\/p>\n

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers\u2019 Union, told The Times: \u201cWords are easy, but we know that the cost of living is something that is giving the government sleepless nights at the moment and I see the very real risk with the welfare strategy is that it\u2019s going to drive up the cost of food production.\u201d <\/p>\n

The prime minister\u2019s spokesman said on Monday: \u201cWe\u2019ll always consider whether overseas products have an unfair advantage and are prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to ensure produce made here in the UK by our farmers is always the most viable option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if that could include imposing tariffs, he said: \u201cWe always keep these under review and we\u2019ll consider whether overseas products have an unfair advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the government\u2019s plans for pet welfare is a consultation on banning shock collars amid worries they could be causing harm to pets. Dog breeders will be brought into a mandatory national register and puppy farming will end. New laws will ban \u201clow-welfare\u201d dogs and cats from being imported from overseas, while rescue and rehoming centres also faced new licensing rules.<\/p>\n

Plans to improve welfare for farmed animals include moving away from using colony cages for laying hens and pig farrowing crates, as well as introducing more humane slaughter methods for farmed fish.<\/p>\n

Using carbon dioxide to stun pigs will be banned, but there was no mention of non-stun slaughter, which remains legal under animal welfare laws as part of religious exemptions. <\/p>\n

\"English<\/p>\n

Puppy farming is going to end<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

UK law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise pain and suffering. However, there is a specific exemption that allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning where this is required \u201cby a religious rite\u201d \u2014 to ensure food is either kosher or halal. <\/p>\n

Wild animal protections include banning trail hunting and snare traps, and introducing a closed hunting season for hares. <\/p>\n

In zoos and aquariums, the public will no longer be allowed to touch fish or octopuses, and anyone keeping a primate must meet \u201czoo-level\u201d welfare standards. <\/p>\n

Downing Street yesterday denied the strategy represented a \u201cwar on the countryside\u201d and said: \u201cWe have said that we share the British public\u2019s high regard for the countryside in lots of ways, whether it\u2019s through farming or the animal welfare strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bradshaw told The Times that farmers were not opposed to higher standards in principle, but argued that without protections at the border, reforms would shift production overseas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we implement core standards and we make it illegal to sell food produced to lower standards, then that\u2019s the real opportunity to safeguard our standards in this country and to make sure that there is a net improvement to animal welfare for all of the food consumed here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Matt Bishop, the MP for Forest of Dean, said it was key the government \u201ctakes British farmers with us\u201d in the reforms. He said he backed the measures but added: \u201cIf we\u2019re asking them to meet higher standards, then it\u2019s only fair that imported meat is produced to those same standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Using carbon dioxide to stun pigs will be banned<\/p>\n

GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

Perran Moon, the MP for Camborne & Redruth, said he was \u201cfully supportive\u201d of the strategy and added: \u201cIt\u2019s just a question of how we work with the farming community to make sure that transition is as effective as it can possibly be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terry Jermy, the MP for South West Norfolk, said: \u201cThere needs to be time for farmers to make the transition. We can\u2019t expect farmers to have significant additional costs. We need to look at a way that it\u2019s a partnership and a phased removal and I think the government strategy recognises that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Conservatives, meanwhile, suggested the government had \u201csnuck this announcement out just before Christmas to avoid scrutiny\u201d.<\/p>\n

Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, said: \u201cWhile it is good to see the government taking forward Conservative policies to tackle puppy smuggling and livestock worrying, Labour is yet again favouring foreign farmers over British farmers by allowing substandard foreign imports to undercut our already-high welfare standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cLabour have snuck this announcement out just before Christmas to avoid scrutiny, because they know that this will be another hammer blow to farming profitability. Once again, they have shown that they simply don\u2019t care about rural Britain.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was previously believed that boiling lobsters alive improved the flavour. This was based on the belief that a lobster which dies before cooking spoils instantly or that live boiling keeps the flesh firmer and sweeter.<\/p>\n

However in recent years contemporary chefs have argued that the stress of boiling the lobster instead worsens the taste, and advocate instead pushing a knife through the lobster\u2019s head before putting it in the water. Gordon Ramsay has been seen using this method.<\/p>\n

Michael Caines, the chef-patron of Lympstone Manor and a holder of two Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years at Gidleigh Park, told The Times the ban on boiling lobsters would be a \u201chard one to enforce\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs in, how else are you going to be able to kill them humanely? Most of the chefs put a knife through the head anyway. And as for the police, well given the rise of shoplifting and the lack of arrests, then I think it might be a bit of a stretch to think that they will be arresting chefs for boiling lobster anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Boiling live lobsters and crabs will be banned by ministers under animal rights reforms. In its animal welfare…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":330467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[84,1294,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-330466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}