On Wednesday 8 October, Milan hosted Italy’s first public event dedicated to the protection of decapod crustaceans, an opportunity to discuss new scientific, legal and institutional perspectives stemming from their recognition as sentient beings.
During the event, Lorenzo Pregliasco of Youtrend, joining remotely, presented the results of the survey commissioned by Animal Law Italia on the perception of suffering in crustaceans and the importance consumers attach to animal welfare in the food supply chain.
The event brought together institutional figures and academics, who spoke with one voice on the need to strengthen real protections for animals, and for crustaceans in particular. The crustacean question was addressed both from a scientific standpoint, by our own Lorenzo Fruscella, and from a practical one, with contributions from the Animal Rights Ombudsman of the City of Milan, Gustavo Gandini, who is involved in the forthcoming amendments to the City of Milan’s animal welfare regulation.
Along the same lines was the speech by Maria Elena Grandi, Councillor for the Environment and Green Areas of the City of Milan, who brought the administration’s greetings and thanked ALI for its constant support in amending the municipal regulation, making it ever more effective, including with regard to the protection of decapod crustaceans.
Particularly interesting, in terms of why we feel less sensitivity towards the animals we use as food, was the talk by Emanuela Prato Previde, psychologist and lecturer at the University of Milan, who walked the audience through the subject of empathy towards animals destined for human consumption and the cognitive bias that leads us to separate companion animals from those that end up on our plates.
The results of the Youtrend survey for Animal Law Italia
The survey conducted by Youtrend for Animal Law Italia captures a profound shift in Italians’ attitudes towards decapod crustaceans.
Animal welfare in general is a relevant criterion for 59% of Italians when making their food choices (21% said they consider the issue of protecting animal welfare extremely relevant).
As for crustaceans, the majority of respondents believe new legal protections must be guaranteed for these animals. In particular, 64% of respondents would ban keeping them in tanks unsuited to their vital needs, while 61% said they were opposed to cooking them while still alive.
The figure that emerges most strongly, and that vindicates the action undertaken by ALI, was the pleasant surprise of discovering that for 58% of respondents, animals such as spiny lobsters, crabs and prawns are capable of feeling physical pain and stress, while those who deny that decapod crustaceans feel stress and pain account for just 6%. A figure that confirms how much scientific knowledge is contributing to ever greater awareness in Italian public opinion.
“The mistreatment of crustaceans is now perceived as an ethical and civilisational issue, no longer a mere gastronomic matter. The demand for consistency is also growing: citizens see crustacean welfare as an integral part of the broader issue of animal protection, with no arbitrary distinctions between ‘companion’ and ‘food’ animals” – commented the coalition “Dalla Parte dei Crostacei” (“On the crustaceans’ side”).
Overall, the survey shows broad public support for updating Italian legislation, in line with the most recent scientific evidence and with the standards already adopted in countries such as the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
“The data confirm what we observe every day: Italian society is far ahead of its laws. We can no longer tolerate cruel practices simply because they are traditional. It is time for lawmakers to fill this gap and bring the legislation into line with scientific knowledge and with citizens’ sensibilities,” said Alessandro Ricciuti, president of Animal Law Italia, during the event.
Rewatch the livestream
The campaign and the coalition
“Dalla parte dei crostacei” is a campaign promoted by Animal Law Italia since early 2022. In June 2025, Animal Equality Italia, CIWF Italia, ENPA, Essere Animali, LAV, LEAL, LNDC Animal Protection and OIPA joined, creating the first coalition for the protection of decapod crustaceans at the international level.
The coalition was created to fill the serious legislative gap that leaves crabs, spiny lobsters and European lobsters without protection, calling for a ban on cruel practices such as boiling animals alive and keeping them on ice, and for full legislative recognition of their sentience.