Major brands allow lobster suffering while supermarkets take action.

Major UK Supermarkets Take Action to Improve Welfare Standards for Crabs and Lobsters

Wednesday 12 March, 2025 – In a groundbreaking move, major UK supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s have announced that they will no longer support outdated and cruel methods of killing crabs and lobsters. This decision comes after increasing pressure from animal welfare organization, Crustacean Compassion, and growing public concern for the welfare of these sentient beings.

The 2024 Snapshot Report released by Crustacean Compassion today reveals a mixed response from retailers and seafood producers. While some have made significant improvements in their welfare policies and processes, others have failed to ban cruel practices such as boiling animals alive, tearing them apart, and freezing them while conscious.

According to Dr. Ben Sturgeon, CEO of Crustacean Compassion, “There has been some progress in the welfare policies and processes of organisations since our first report in 2022. We have seen some companies really striding ahead, and for the first time seafood processors have overtaken retailers on their overall scores. The best companies are proving that cruelty is outdated—but too many are still looking the other way. Crabs, lobsters, and prawns feel pain, yet they are still being boiled alive, mutilated, and stored in cruel conditions. The message is clear: companies must adapt or lose consumer trust.”

Recent polls by YouGov (2025) show strong support from the public for enhanced protections for decapod crustaceans, with 71% backing a duty of care for owners, 75% supporting humane slaughter methods, and 70% supporting regulated humane transport and slaughter standards.

The report also highlights that leading supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco are making real progress, introducing higher welfare policies and insisting on humane stunning before slaughter for at least some parts of their supply chain.

Dr. Sturgeon adds, “There are some shining examples, Marks & Spencer, and seafood processors Young’s Seafood have demonstrated that with the right focus, leadership and attention, huge progress can take place. But many others are languishing behind and it’s disappointing to see that some food producers and supermarkets are making no, or very little progress when others are clearly demonstrating that improvement is possible. Particularly in relation to poor practices in capture and storage, as well as the mutilation of live animals. I suspect that most people think these practices are already banned and on hearing this report today, people would expect all supermarkets and food producers to phase them out as quickly as possible.”

However, some supermarkets such as ALDI, Amazon, ASDA, and Iceland have been identified as among the worst performers, failing to act on welfare concerns.

Dr. Sturgeon further states, “Consumers expect humane treatment of all animals in the food chain. Companies refusing to improve risk losing public trust and, ultimately, their place in shopping baskets. According to our recent survey (Apino 2024), 87.1% of respondents believe that supermarkets should be responsible for upholding the highest animal welfare standards for all sentient animals.”

Marks & Spencer Leads the Way in Decapod Welfare

Marks & Spencer continues to set the standard in decapod welfare, showing consistent improvements since the initiative began in 2022. Led by Aquaculture & Fisheries Manager Linda Wood, the company is widely recognized for its proactive approach on higher welfare practices in seafood.

Linda Wood says, “We have the highest animal welfare standards in the industry and for us ensuring these standards is the right thing to do and part of the exceptional quality that sets M&S apart. This year, we’ve seen amazing collaboration with multiple partners finding new innovations to improve the welfare standards for all decapod crustaceans caught and farmed for M&S. The engagement we’ve had from our supply chain in a relatively short space of time is really encouraging. We have achieved a lot but there is much more to do, and we require the continued collaboration of the whole industry to be successful.”

Crustacean Compassion Calls for Industry-Wide Commitments

Crustacean Compassion is calling for urgent industry-wide commitments to ban barbaric practices such as live boiling, live posting, and claw clipping, ensure humane stunning to prevent prolonged deaths, increase transparency through reporting on welfare policies, and to stop selling live crabs and lobsters.

Dr. Sturgeon concludes, “The Snapshot Report shows that positive change is happening – but it’s not fast enough. Some companies are proving higher welfare standards are possible – so there are no excuses for those still failing to act. The seafood industry must evolve and leave cruelty behind. We are keen to support companies to help them make the improvements and have been working with many in the report already. Our challenge to the food industry today is to do more to create a better sea to plate story for lobsters, cr