The UK government has confirmed plans to ban the practice of boiling lobsters alive, as part of a sweeping animal welfare strategy for England. Ministers stated that live boiling is not an acceptable killing method for crustaceans, and new guidance will be issued. The move aligns with existing prohibitions in Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand, and follows a 2022 law recognising octopuses, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings capable of feeling pain.
Animal welfare charities have welcomed the decision, with Ben Sturgeon, chief executive of Crustacean Compassion, describing live boiling as torture and noting that humane alternatives such as electrical stunning are readily available. The strategy, announced on Monday, also includes outlawing hen cages and pig farrowing crates, ending puppy farming, consulting on a ban of electric shock collars for dogs, and introducing humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish.
In addition to these measures, the government plans to tighten hunting rules. This includes banning the shooting of hares during their breeding season and ending trail hunting, where an animal-based scent is laid for dogs to chase. Labour had pledged in its manifesto to extend the 2005 foxhunting ban to trail hunting, which charities argue is often used as a smokescreen for killing foxes.
The proposals have drawn criticism from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who called the move 'authoritarian control freakery' and suggested it could lead to restrictions on dogs chasing wildlife. However, polling from YouGov indicates broad public support for stricter hunting laws, although Reform voters are more divided, with 29% deeming hunting wild animals acceptable and 65% opposing it.
A Labour source dismissed Farage's comments, saying the horse had 'bolted' for him and that his focus on defending hunts distracts from the party's work on cost of living and public services. The Green party largely welcomed the plans but urged ministers to go further by ending greyhound racing, which is set to be banned in Wales by 2030.
