Thanks to the reports we filed last June, based on the tip-offs collected through the #SOSCrustaceans project, we have achieved a first, important victory in the fight against the sale of live decapod crustaceans in supermarkets. Monitoring carried out over the past few weeks has revealed that in two stores, one in Varese and one in Rome, the tanks that contained live lobsters, crabs and other live decapod crustaceans have been completely emptied.
In both cases, sales staff confirmed that the decision to abandon this practice was made by management following inspections by the authorities, prompted precisely by our report.
This victory not only fills us with joy and pride, but above all gives us the motivation to keep fighting so that the sale of live crustaceans is finally banned throughout Italy.
In a third supermarket, also in Rome, some improvement measures agreed with the local health authority (ASL) have been introduced, such as reducing the density and installing partitions to separate the animals. However, we believe that these interventions are still wholly insufficient to guarantee the welfare of decapod crustaceans, solitary animals that prefer to live hidden in burrows and crevices. Furthermore, prolonged detention under these conditions causes them significant stress, which compounds the cruelty of their ultimate fate: being boiled alive. For this reason, we believe that no improvement measure can make this practice acceptable.
Next steps
In addition to legal activities, we are working to open a dialogue with institutions, with the aim of defining clear and binding guidelines on the treatment of crustaceans. We believe that decapod crustaceans deserve better legal consideration: numerous studies have shown that they are sentient beings, capable of feeling fear and pain. We will not back down or stop until we have achieved concrete progress. This is a promise we intend to keep.
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– Make a donation for crustaceans: every euro will be used to file reports and collaborate with institutions, with the aim of ensuring them greater protection.
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Together, we can make a difference. The road is long, but every step brings us closer to a fairer world.