How are Crustacean Compassion protecting the wild welfare of crustaceans?

Crabs and lobsters face growing threats in the wild - from pollution to destructive fishing. Discover how Crustacean Compassion is taking action and how you can help protect these vital marine species.

We’ve kicked off a fresh strategic approach at Crustacean Compassion to better protect decapod crustaceans and the coastal environments they call home. From launching our Rockpool Rangers campaign to teach kids and families how to explore rockpools kindly, to rolling up our sleeves for the Great British Beach Clean, and speaking up in a government consultation on bottom trawling, we’re taking action where it counts - on the shore, in the sea, and in policy. It’s all part of our mission to make life better for crabs, lobsters, and their ocean neighbours. 

Rockpool Rangers  

We started with our Rockpool Ranger campaign, launched earlier this year around Cornwall. A chance to educate the public on their interactions with our incredible creatures that live by our oceans and call their home, on how to be kind and compassionate whilst exploring rockpools, and how we must leave the environment as we found it.  

Great British Beach Clean  

Another way we knew we could help the ocean directly was to clear up the mess that humans have made to it. Our friends at Marine Conservation Society hosted the Great British Beach Clean 19-28 September. Thousands of volunteers donate their time to make our coastlines a better place, not just for us humans, but more importantly the marine life that call the ocean home. Every year, specific areas of many beaches are cleaned from litter that seems to be far too often appearing, which is then recorded with a report produced to give us an in-depth insight into the pollution conditions that we are faced with in the UK. Molly, from the Crustacean Compassion team headed down to Porth Beach in Cornwall on Wednesday 24 September, along with many other volunteers to play an important role in this process.  

Beach clean stats from 2024:  

• Over 764,000 litter items removed from beaches, weighing over 17 tonnes.  

• 160, 363 single-use plastic items found.  

• Fishing related litter was found on every beach recorded in the UK, with a 33% increase from 2023.  

  
  

The numbers are staggering and unfortunately, seem to be increasing year on year. By taking part in this crucial campaign, we are doing our part to ensure the safety of our marine life is of top priority, and providing as much information as possible, to prevent more waste in the future.  

Crabs, lobsters and other decapod crustaceans are the cleaners of the sea. Their job, amongst others, is to ensure it is kept spick and span for the other animals they share the ocean with. If they are cleaning below the depths, surely we should be on the coast? 

If you want to catch up on how the event went, you can watch our video here.

Banning bottom trawling – have your say 

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is asking for public feedback on how fishing affects Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and on proposed management plans for some of these sites around the UK. These areas would have additional protections including a ban on bottom trawling and in one case a ban on the fishing of spiny lobsters. Bottom trawling, is the destructive process of fishing boats literally trawling the ocean floor with large fishing nets, pulling anything in its pass inside of it. Destroying habitats and killing species that are not supposed to be caught; removing life from our oceans.  

Crustacean Compassion have responded to the consultation welcoming the steps being taken and encouraging further action. We hope that in time further protections will be introduced to MPAs and that the area which they cover will be expanded.   

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 29th September 2025, so there’s still time to have your say! You can respond online or drop an email to conservation@marinemanagement.org.uk. 

Personalised responses are especially powerful and can make a real impact—so if you can, try to write in your own words. That said, here are some key messages you might want to include: 

• We strongly support banning bottom trawling in MPAs. It harms the seabed and sea life, including crabs and lobsters that often get caught by accident. It also helps the UK meet its climate and nature goals. 

• Bottom trawling is damaging to the environment and causes serious suffering to sea animals, especially decapods, who are stressed and injured during capture. 

• Fishing rules should consider not just the environment, but also the welfare of individual animals, whether they’re being caught or affected by habitat damage. 

• We’re glad to see a proposal to protect spiny lobsters in Skerries Bank and Surrounds. We hope this leads to more protections for other areas and species in future. 

• Banning bottom trawling in these areas is one of the most effective ways the UK can protect marine life and meet its climate commitments. 

  
  

Small actions to protect the wild welfare of decapod crustaceans 

It can seem an overwhelming topic, especially if you don’t live by the coast and the amount of information being published in this area. But it really does start with small decisions, that can have a huge impact.  

We have put together a list below, to help guide you on ways you can protect the lives of decapod crustaceans in the wild:  

• Wherever you are, take rubbish with you.  

• Reduce your plastic footprint: Swap single use plastic items for reusable alternatives, e.g water bottles.  

• Avoid products that use bottom trawling methods: If you are buying seafood, avoiding bottom trawled products helps reduce destruction of seabed habitats where decapods live. 

• Educate others. Share what you’ve learned about decapod welfare with friends, family, and your community. Awareness is the first step toward change 

• Write to your MP. Encourage your local representative to support stronger marine protections, including bans on harmful fishing practices and expansion of MPAs 

• Volunteer for coastal cleanups. Even if you’re not near the sea, many organisations run inland litter picks that prevent waste from reaching waterways and eventually the ocean. 

• Be a responsible coastal explorer If you’re exploring the coast, follow the Rockpool Rangers guidelines: care about the oceans and those who live there, and explore life in the water, in a kind and respectful way. 

• Donate. Supporting organisations like Crustacean Compassion helps fund campaigns, education, and policy work that protect marine life at every level. 

Without the ocean, there is no us. We must start doing better to it, and the incredible creatures who live there.