A new coalition named “On the Side of Crustaceans” (“Dalla parte dei crostacei”) has formed to advocate for crabs, lobsters, and crayfish, aiming to address Italy’s significant legal gap leaving these sentient animals unprotected. The initiative, spearheaded by Animal Law Italy (ALI) alongside eight environmental groups, demands a ban on the sale of live decapod crustaceans, killing via boiling, and storage on ice.
The coalition has issued a platform outlining four urgent requests for the Italian government and parliament:
1. Prohibit storing live crustaceans on ice or in icy water, a practice causing extreme stress and injuries.
2. Ban boiling animals alive, including slow temperature increases, methods scientifically proven to cause prolonged suffering.
3. Halt the direct sale of live crustaceans to consumers, citing shops’ and restaurants’ inability to ensure proper storage and slaughter methods.
4. Legally recognize the sentience of decapod crustaceans, granting them protections equivalent to mammals and birds.
These demands align with a recent opportunity: the Health Ministry established a technical committee tasked with drafting national welfare guidelines for decapod crustaceans. The coalition has requested a dedicated hearing to present its scientific rationale and arguments. “This is a historic opportunity to fill an unacceptable legislative void,” stated the groups. “We will soon launch further joint actions to inform the public and pressure institutions. Italy must follow virtuous European examples like Switzerland and Norway, where laws already prohibit boiling conscious animals.”
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