Imagine someone throwing a living lobster into boiling water. How painful would that be, it’s hard to even imagine. The government of England has now adopted this same thought. The government has decided that it will now be considered wrong and cruel to boil live and conscious lobsters in water. In order to stop this, England is preparing to introduce new rules so that animals can be treated better and more humanely.
The English government has clearly stated that boiling animals like lobsters alive is not an acceptable practice. According to ministers, this causes unnecessary pain to the animals. The government has also stated that new guidelines will soon be issued on humane ways to kill lobsters and other marine animals. This kind of ban is not new. Countries like Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand already have a ban on boiling live lobsters.
This decision is based on an old law. In 2022, the Conservative government passed a law that classified creatures like octopuses, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings. This means that these animals can feel pain and emotions. Based on this law, the government now believes that boiling animals alive is intentionally causing them pain. Animal rights organizations that work for the welfare of animals say that there are better and less painful ways to kill lobsters. Methods like making them unconscious with a slight electric shock or freezing them in cold air and ice are considered more humane and appropriate.
The decision to ban boiling live lobsters is part of the Labour Party’s major animal welfare policy, which was announced in December. This policy includes several other important steps, such as banning the keeping of chickens in small cages, ending the practice of gestation crates for pigs, and putting a stop to the illegal trade of kittens. In this policy, there are also considerations being made to ban electric shock collars for dogs and implement rules to ensure that fish are killed with minimal pain.
The government is also taking a strict stance on hunting. New proposals include banning shooting rabbits during their breeding season and ending trail hunting. In trail hunting, dogs are trained to follow a scent laid by humans. Animal welfare organizations argue that this ban on fox hunting is a way to avoid the ban on fox hunting. The Labour Party had promised before the election to strengthen the 2005 Fox Hunting Act.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has opposed these decisions. He called it more government interference than necessary. Farage said that if this is the case, then even walking dogs in villages should be banned, as dogs also chase after animals. However, a poll by YouGov shows a different perspective of the public. According to the survey, only 29% of Reform Party supporters consider hunting to be correct, while 65% are against it. Meanwhile, 21% believe that hunting with dogs should be allowed.
A source from the Labour Party said that Nigel Farage has now drifted away from the common people’s thinking. He is protecting issues that only please old leaders. The Labour Party says that by changing old laws, it is ending the cruelty to animals, reducing inflation, and working on improving health services. The Green Party has welcomed the government’s plan, but they say that the government should also ban greyhound racing.