With their claws tied, still alive and exposed on beds of ice. It's a scene repeated again this year in Italian fishmongers on the eve of the Christmas holidays, and it's the focus of the "On the Side of Shellfish" campaign. The denunciation initiative is promoted by a coalition of associations led by Animal Law Italia, together with Animal Equality, CIWF, ENPA, Essere Animali, LAV, LEAL, LNDC, and OIPA.

The focus isn't on the sale of crustaceans, but on their often silent suffering. The associations' request is clear: introduce laws banning the sale of live specimens, their preservation in water and ice, and their boiling alive.

Among the campaign's supporters is TV host Licia Colò, who in a video shared on social media urged her followers to "do the right thing." "I often talk about animals and respect for them, but we must remember that there are more than just dogs and cats," she emphasizes. "We are more sensitive towards mammals, while other, quieter species suffer unspeakable torture.

I'm talking about crustaceans: I ask you to learn about their lives, which are still largely unknown, and to reflect on the terrible way in which they are killed, often thrown directly into boiling water."

According to the host, the appeal is supported by scientific studies indicating that crustaceans are sentient beings, capable of feeling pain.

(Unioneonline/vf)