A local councillor in Aberaeron is urging parents to talk to their children about animal welfare following reports of crabs being harmed in the harbour. The incidents, witnessed by several people including distressed children, involved crabs being stamped on until they died, placed in the road for vehicles to run over, and fed to seagulls.
Incident Details
Aberaeron county councillor Elizabeth Evans described the incident: "A deeply upsetting incident took place in Aberaeron recently involving two young boys and crabs caught in the harbour. The crabs were reportedly being stamped on until they died and then thrown back into the water. Later the boys were seen placing crabs in the road for vehicles to run over. Some crabs were also being held with limbs missing and live or dead crabs were being fed to seagulls."
Witnesses were given advice by Ceredigion council's ecology team on how to report the incident. The incident has also been reported to police.
Councillor's Appeal
Cllr Evans clarified that her sharing of details was "not about naming or identifying children" but about "asking parents and carers to please know where their children are and, most importantly, to talk to them about animal welfare and cruelty".
She added: "Crabs and other creatures in our harbour are part of what makes Aberaeron such a lovely place for families to visit. Catching crabs can be a wonderful activity when it is done responsibly but deliberately harming, mutilating, or killing animals for entertainment is not acceptable."
Community Response
Ceredigion's wildlife team will set up a Clwb Cranc, or Crab Club, to educate crabbers on how to crab safely and respectfully. Cllr Evans thanked "the one person who did remove the bait from the boys and reported the incident".
She concluded: "The message is clear – we will not tolerate this behaviour and I urge anyone witnessing an incident like this again to report it immediately."
