The UK government has announced a ban on boiling lobsters alive, part of a broader animal welfare strategy for England. Ministers stated that 'live boiling is not an acceptable killing method' for crustaceans, and alternative humane methods will be outlined. The practice is already illegal in Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand.
Animal welfare charities advocate stunning lobsters with an electric gun or chilling them before boiling. Ben Sturgeon, CEO of Crustacean Compassion, welcomed the move, calling live boiling 'torture' and 'completely avoidable'. The ban builds on a 2022 Conservative law recognising invertebrates like octopus, crabs, and lobsters as sentient.
The Labour strategy also includes outlawing hen cages and pig farrowing crates, ending puppy farming, consulting on banning electric shock collars for dogs, and introducing humane slaughter for farmed fish. Hunting rules will be tightened, with a ban on shooting hares during breeding season and an end to trail hunting, which charities say is used as a 'smokescreen' for killing foxes.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised the move as 'authoritarian control freakery', suggesting it could lead to bans on walking dogs. However, polling shows strong public support for tougher hunting rules, with 65% of Reform voters opposing hunting wild animals. A Labour source dismissed Farage's stance as out of touch with working people's priorities.
The Green party welcomed the plans but urged further action, such as ending greyhound racing, which faces a ban in Wales by 2030.
