A ban on boiling live crustaceans, as well as octopus and squid. This was announced by the British government, which—as part of its new animal welfare strategy published last Monday—declared its intention to achieve the breakthrough long-awaited by animal rights activists with an imminent measure.
The goal of banning the boiling alive of decapod crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, shrimp, and scampi, as well as cephalopods such as octopus and squid , has been welcomed in Italy by OIPA , the International Organization for Animal Protection. This is an extremely significant step, implementing the shift in perspective initiated in 2022 with the recognition of these animals' capacity to experience pain and suffering, as sentient beings.
" England is preparing to follow the virtuous precedents of Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand, where the cruel practice of boiling shellfish in the conscious has long been illegal . This is not only a gesture of protection for animal species often considered merely as culinary goods, but also a sign that cultural change is possible even in the most traditional and difficult-to-disrupt practices," comments Massimo Comparotto, president of OIPA Italy. In Italy, despite small encouraging signs from municipal initiatives and court decisions, the road is still uphill.
(Unioneonline)
