Thousands suffer in silence: Let’s protect crabs in labs in the UK

On World Day for Laboratory Animals, we gathered outside the Home Office with a clear message:  protect crabs and lobsters from unregulated suffering in UK labs. Despite being able to feel pain, they remain excluded from key legal protections which would reduce needless suffering. 

Although crabs, lobsters and other decapod crustaceans were legally recognised as sentient beings (capable of feeling pain and suffering) in the UK in 2022, they remain the only sentient animals routinely used in scientific experiments with no legal protection whatsoever.  

Unlike vertebrates, and even some invertebrates like octopuses and squid, decapod crustaceans are still excluded from the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), which regulates animal use in research. This means there’s no requirement for ethical review, no legal duty to minimise their suffering, and no formal oversight in how these animals are treated in UK labs.  

This isn’t a minor oversight. It’s a dangerous legislative loophole and it has devastating consequences. 

30,000 animals, zero protection. 

Our latest data, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, reveals that nearly 30,000 decapod crustaceans have been used in UK universities between 2018 and 2024. That’s almost 5,000 crabs and lobsters every year - used in experiments that may involve invasive procedures, deprivation, or even death, all without a single legal safeguard. 

Despite the staggering amount of crustaceans used in scientific experiments every year, they are still invisible in the eyes of the law.  

This isn’t just ethically unacceptable - it’s inconsistent with the government's own position on sentience. 

A YouGov poll we conducted earlier this year showed that 61% of the public support including decapods under ASPA. Meanwhile, cross-party MPs have repeatedly called on the Home Office to act, but their appeals have been met with silence, excuses, or delays. 

The Home Office continues to defer to Defra’s work on other welfare legislation, and although the previous government tasked the Animals in Science Committee with reviewing the issue, one of the first acts of the new Labour government was to delay that vital work. 

All the while, crabs and lobsters continue to suffer without protection, and without recognition. 

Making our voices heard: World Day for Laboratory Animals  

On Thursday 24 April, World Day for Laboratory Animals, we stood outside the Home Office in central London with one simple ask: to urge the government to protect crabs and lobsters from unregulated suffering in UK laboratories. 

Alongside our team at Crustacean Compassion, we were joined by TV presenter and long-time animal welfare advocate  Wendy Turner-Webster - now our Ambassador - and her father Brian.  Dressed in crab and lobster costumes, we stood outside the Home Office with one simple demand: protect decapods from unregulated suffering in UK labs. 

Speaking outside the Home Office, Wendy Turner Webster summed up the mood perfectly: “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? The Government could change this very easily. It’s the logical and compassionate thing to do.” 

There’s no reason to wait  

The Home Office has previously suggested it will wait to see how decapods are treated under other welfare legislation before amending ASPA. But as our Chief Executive, Dr Ben Sturgeon, has repeatedly pointed out, there is no legal reason to delay. Cephalopods were added to ASPA on the basis of scientific evidence, and the same level of evidence now exists for decapods. 

We are simply asking the Government to follow the same path. Every day of delay means more animals used without protection. We believe the time to act is now – we need the Home Office to stop stalling and add crustaceans to ASPA – asap! 

The next step: Let’s keep the momentum going 

We’re not stopping here. Next week, on 27 May - Animal Free Research Day - we’ll return to the Home Office, this time armed with a formal report and full FOI data exposing the use of decapods in UK labs. 

EDIT: Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to return to the Home Office on 27 May as planned. However, our commitment remains strong—we will be back soon, and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way. In the meantime, we need your help to make our message impossible to ignore.

TAKE ACTION: Email Your MP Today 

We need your help to make sure this issue lands where it matters most: in the inboxes of MPs. 

We’re asking people across the country to email their local MP and urge them to press the Home Office for immediate action. Our goal? 5,000 messages, one for every decapod crustacean used in UK laboratories each year. Help us protect crabs in labs.  

Every email counts. It takes just a couple of minutes to make a difference for thousands of animals suffering without protection. 

Write to your MP now and help us put pressure on the government to add crabs and lobsters to ASPA - without delay. 

TAKE ACTION