Who we are
Crustacean Compassion is an award-winning animal welfare charity dedicated to the humane treatment of animals like crabs, lobsters & prawns (decapod crustaceans).
We are a small team but we work in many ways to improve the lives of millions of these animals:
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We engage with legislators and policy makers to strengthen and enforce animal welfare law and policy.
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We work to persuade and enable companies to sell higher welfare products across their shellfish product ranges and to phase out inhumane practices.
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We educate both the public and policy makers on the science of decapod crustacean sentience and on their humane treatment and care.
Our work is grounded in scientific evidence. We do not campaign against the use of decapod crustaceans as food.
We welcome good practice in the food industry and believe that all sentient creatures deserve humane treatment, determined by the needs of their species.
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Our vision
Crustacean Compassion has a vision of a world where decapod crustaceans, such as lobsters and crabs, are valued as sentient animals with legal protection and humane treatment
Our mission
Crustacean Compassion’s mission is to promote and lead the ethical and humane treatment of decapod crustaceans through advocacy, education, and engagement to build a world where people treat them and their environment with compassion, kindness, and respect.
Our values
We are decapod focused
Understanding, representing and advocating for the interests and needs of decapods is at the heart of what we do.
We are pragmatic
We have no permanent friends or foes. We both work with, and challenge, those who can deliver the greatest benefits to decapod welfare.
We are reasoned and evidence based
We base our choices on scientific evidence, reasoned assumption and ethical rationale.
We are strategic
We will honour the urgency of our cause and the generosity of our supporters by working effectively to achieve demonstrable real-world impact.
We are courageous
We publicly stand-up for our values, seek a wide audience for our message and will not be afraid to challenge where necessary.
Our strategy - changing the world for decapod crustaceans
In 2025 Crustacean Compassion are expanding our work into the wild environment where decapods live.
Our new two-year strategy will have two main aims: to protect crustaceans in the care of humans and in the wild.
Better protection for wild caught and farmed decapods used by humans for diverse purposes (food, experimentation, companionship, leisure).
Better protection for wild decapod animals in their natural habitats and where their individual welfare is directly impacted by human activities
We will continue to do this through the three pillars of our work in advocacy, engagement and education.