Dutch Parliament majority wants to ban boiling of live crabs¹ and lobsters²

Members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, have renewed calls for a ban on boiling lobsters and crabs alive, describing the practice as unnecessarily cruel. A majority in the Tweede Kamer supports a new motion introduced by the Party for the Animals (PvdD) and the Party for Freedom (PVV) to prohibit the practice immediately.

“Lobsters and crabs suffer unnecessarily. We must stop this now,” said PvdD member Ines Kostić during a parliamentary session.

The practice of boiling lobsters and crabs alive is still common in many Dutch restaurants, driven by the belief that the fresher the preparation, the better the taste. However, lawmakers argue that this method inflicts³ severe suffering on the animals.

In the Netherlands, invertebrates⁴ such as lobsters and crabs are not protected under laws regulating humane⁵ methods of killing⁶ animals for consumption.