24 Apr 2025
Today campaigners gathered outside the Home Office to demand the Secretary of State, Yvette Cooper take immediate action to give decapod crustaceans (crabs and lobsters) the same protections in scientific research as other animals.
Campaigners, led by animal welfare organisation Crustacean Compassion, urged the Labour government to close the loophole of the current Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which covers all vertebrate and even some invertebrates (like octopuses) yet denies any kind of protection to decapod crustaceans, despite them being recognised as sentient beings.
Protecting Crabs in Labs
On World Day for Laboratory Animals, campaign groups and members of the public across the world stand up for the rights of animals who are subject to painful and sometimes life-ending experiments at the hands of researchers. In London, TV presenter and journalist Wendy Turner-Webster today joined Crustacean Compassion and lent her voice to the plight of decapods, the only sentient animals routinely used in laboratory experiments who are not currently protected by UK law.
Wendy said, “Crabs and lobsters are recognised as sentient beings, so why do they continue to be left out of legislation that provides legal and ethical protections for their treatment? Squid and octopus were added into the legislation, so why not crabs and lobsters? The scientific views on their sentience are the same so it makes no sense whatsoever to exclude them. The Government could choose to change this very easily so that’s exactly what we’re asking them to do today. It’s the logical and compassionate thing to do.”
A YouGov poll conducted earlier this year found that 61% of the public support including crabs and lobsters under ASPA to protect them in research.
Chief Executive of Crustacean Compassion, Dr Ben Sturgeon agrees and has led the campaign to include decapod crustaceans in the legislation,
“There is clear precedent to give decapod crustaceans the same protection as other animals. The same scientific consensus exists for decapods, making their exclusion illogical and unjustifiable.”
“We don’t understand why the Government is stalling on this one. They’ve said they are going to wait to see whether decapods will be included in the Animal Welfare Act before making a decision on ASPA, but there is no legal requirement, or precedent, for them to do so."
30,000 animals, zero protection
“They are stalling and delaying the decision for no reason, and we urge them to rethink this approach. Whilst they delay, thousands of decapods suffer needlessly in laboratories, with no legal protection, ethical oversight, or record-keeping. Our Freedom of Information data reveals that almost 30,000 decapods were used in experiments from 2018–2024.”
“We have strong public support for this and I’d like to thank all of those who have turned up today or shared our campaign online, giving a voice to those who do not have their own voice.”
The message to the Home Office is clear: stop stalling, follow the science, and amend ASPA now to protect crabs and lobsters from unregulated suffering in UK labs.
Ends
Notes to editors
1. Crustacean Compassion is an award-winning animal welfare organisation dedicated to the humane treatment and legal protection of animals like crabs, lobsters & prawns (decapod crustaceans). We engage with legislators and policy makers to strengthen and enforce animal welfare law and policy; we work to persuade and enable companies to sell higher welfare products across their shellfish product ranges; and we seek to educate both the public and policy makers on the science of decapod crustacean sentience and on their humane treatment and care. Website: www.crustaceancompassion.org
2. For more information or for an interview request with CEO, Dr Ben Sturgeon, please contact 020 3870 3302 or email info@crustaceancompassion.org
3. Background context:
Animal research in the UK is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (known as ASPA). Before an animal can be used in an experiment the researcher must have a licence, as must the establishment where the research is taking place, and each experiment must be signed off.
Decapod crustaceans like crabs, prawns and lobsters are not included in the act – despite the legal recognition of their sentience in 2022 and the London School of Economics recommending that all decapod crustaceans are brought within the scope of ASPA.
This means that, at present, crustaceans can be used in experiments without any legal protection, ethical oversight, or record-keeping. They remain the only recognised sentient animals excluded from ASPA - a legal and moral gap that must urgently be closed.
4. What needs to happen:
The Home Office should amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act immediately. The Act allows for the inclusion of additional species and there is clear precedent, as cephalopods were added based on evidence of their sentience. The same scientific consensus now exists for decapods, making their exclusion illogical and unjustifiable.
Delaying the decision for decapods to be in the Animal Welfare Act is condemning an estimated 5,000 of these sentient animals to suffer needlessly in laboratories each year, with almost 30,000 used between 2018-2024.
5. YouGov polls 2025: YouGov Plc: Total sample size was 2,223 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th - 25th February 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)