Boiling lobsters while they are alive and conscious will be banned as part of a government strategy to improve animal welfare in England.

Government ministers say that “live boiling is not an acceptable killing method” for crustaceans and alternative guidance will be published.

The practice is already illegal in Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand. Animal welfare charities say that stunning lobsters with an electric gun or chilling them in cold air or ice before boiling them is more humane.

    • BCsven@lemmy.ca
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      4 hours ago

      And it should be instant. Not like the extreme polar end of those asian guys skinning a dog while it was still alive for the meat market.

    • thebustinater@lemmy.zip
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      8 hours ago

      all meat requires killing.

      Technically not true… You could amputate and eat part of an animal without killing it

      • KiloGex@lemmy.world
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        8 hours ago

        Correct. Scientists have done studies on vibrations from plants and they have a reaction to being cut and pulled that could be equated to a “pain” response.

        • Spacenut@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          Let’s suppose that you actually genuinely care about reducing the amount of plant suffering in the world. If this is the case, surely you would be vegan, because 3/4 of our total agricultural land is used to grow plants to support animal agriculture. (Since grass feels pain just like soybeans do, this includes pasture land.) So far fewer plants would be killed if everyone was vegan.

          Of course, you don’t actually live your life in a manner consistent with believing plants feel pain. I don’t think anyone would think twice about swerving into some flowers to avoid a dog in the street for fear of causing suffering to the flowers.