The science speaks for itself and if we were to ignore this we'd risk being left behind whilst other countries, for example, New Zealand, Switzerland and parts of Italy, have already made it illegal to boil lobsters without stunning, or killing them first. This report is the most comprehensive overview we have seen and demonstrates that there is strong scientific evidence that these animals experience pain and distress but also positive feelings like pleasure and joy, even containing new ways of assessing sentience. Countries have started making it illegal to boil lobsters alive The Government announced a review into whether this would be the case, with the highly anticipated LSE report coming out recently. When the Sentience Bill was announced, we called for decapods and cephalopods to be included in the scope of the Bill because the science indicates that these animals are sentient. Instead, our aim is to create a more humane world and we know that there is wide public support for this too.

This idea is completely ungrounded and is another way that some groups are ignoring the robust evidence and instead branding this important step for animal welfare as something that it isn't.īy calling this part of the 'woke' agenda, not only does this undermine the evidence but it suggests that being 'woke', which is defined by calling out injustices, is a bad thing. Of course, this has prompted wild speculation from some MPs, columnists and interest groups claiming that recognising these amazing creatures are sentient will bring the seafood industry to its knees. And, by agreeing lobsters and octopuses can experience pain and distress, we have widened our understanding of the animal kingdom and are rightly looking to protect the welfare of those animals. Only two other countries globally have such a process. But, as the Government promised, it now improves on what we left behind.īy setting up a Committee to assess Government policy on how decisions impact animal welfare, we have bettered the process we had previously. The Sentience Bill is unfinished business from Brexit as it was the only issue that was not carried over into UK law when we left the EU last New Years Eve. The Government's move to amend the Sentience Bill is an important step for lobsters but also potentially a much bigger opportunity for positive change in the way we view all animals. The Sentience Bill is unfinished business from Brexit Instead, the lobster should be lauded as the animal that has put the UK back on the top of the animal welfare chart. And despite the overwhelming science and public support, the issue of their sentience has been hijacked by some lobby groups as a symbol of the so-called 'woke' agenda.

However, over the past year, the humble lobster has become a poster child of a culture war. The RSPCA, Crustacean Compassion and many other groups, have long been campaigning for these creatures to be seen as sentient in law and we believe the science is very clear in showing that they are. When I first saw the recent report from the London School of Economics (LSE), which confirmed strong evidence of sentience in decapod crustaceans (such as crabs and lobsters) and cephalopods (like octopus and squid), I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Emma Slawinski, Director of Advocacy and Policy at the RSPCA, explains why recognising that decapods and cephalopods (animals such as crabs and squid) are sentient is a scientific fact and far from the so-called 'woke' agenda.

Lobster sentience