Campaigners Gather Outside Home Office to Call for Protection of Decapod Crustaceans in Scientific Research
London, UK – On World Day for Laboratory Animals, campaigners led by animal welfare organisation Crustacean Compassion gathered outside the Home Office to demand immediate action from Secretary of State Yvette Cooper. The group is urging the Labour government to close the loophole in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which currently excludes decapod crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, from legal and ethical protections in laboratory research.
Despite being recognized as sentient beings, decapod crustaceans are the only animals routinely used in laboratory experiments that are not covered by UK law. This exclusion has sparked outrage among animal rights activists and members of the public, who are calling for change.
Joining the cause is TV presenter and journalist Wendy Turner-Webster, who lent her voice to the campaign during the rally outside the Home Office. Turner-Webster stated, “Crabs and lobsters are recognized 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 recent YouGov poll found that 61% of the public support including crabs and lobsters under ASPA to protect them in research. Dr. Ben Sturgeon, Chief Executive of Crustacean Compassion, has been leading the campaign to include decapod crustaceans in the legislation. He notes, “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.”
The group is calling on the government to amend ASPA to include decapod crustaceans and put an end to their unregulated suffering in UK laboratories. Sturgeon adds, “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.”
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. The group’s efforts have been supported by members of the public who have turned up to the rally and shared the campaign online, giving a voice to those who do not have their own voice.
