Labour to Ban Boiling Lobsters Alive and Tighten Animal Welfare Laws in England
The Labour Party has announced plans to ban the boiling of lobsters alive in England, deeming this practice unacceptable for crustaceans. New guidance is set to be published recommending more humane methods of slaughter, including electrical stunning or chilling in cold air or ice.
This welfare plan also includes outlawing hen cages, ending pig farrowing crates, stopping puppy farming, and considering a ban on electric shock collars for dogs. Additionally, it introduces humane slaughter requirements specifically for farmed fish. These proposals build on a 2022 Conservative law that recognised invertebrates such as octopus, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings capable of feeling pain.
Crustacean Compassion has welcomed the proposals, highlighting that live boiling causes excruciating pain and supports humane alternatives like electrical stunning. The Labour Party also aims to tighten hunting rules by banning shooting hares during the breeding season and ending trail hunting, pledging to extend the 2005 foxhunting ban to trail hunting.
Nigel Farage criticised the plan as authoritarian, but Labour counters that it seeks to update outdated animal welfare laws while aligning with broader priorities such as reducing cost of living and cutting waiting lists.
The Green Party broadly supports the plans but calls for an end to greyhound racing, with Wales having plans to ban greyhound racing by 2030. Meanwhile, YouGov polling indicates that Reform UK voters are divided on hunting: 29% find hunting wild animals acceptable, 65% think it is not, and 21% support hunting with dogs.
