Having lived in the Pacific Northwest my entire life, I've grown up surrounded by the vast beauty of our oceans and marine life. As an aspiring marine biologist and conservationist, I've witnessed the practice of crabbing firsthand, a tradition ingrained in our coastal culture. I myself am a crabber and fisherman and I love the process. There is nothing that brings me more joy than to be out on the water or down in the bay appreciating what the ocean has to offer. However, it pains me to see the prevalent and cruel practice of boiling crabs and other decapods while they're still alive for cooking.

Numerous studies and scientific evidence point to the fact that crabs and other decapods are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain. Continuing to cook them alive is not only unnecessary but represents a cruel method that should be reconsidered. Many countries including Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, and England have already recognized this cruelty and have banned the practice of boiling crustaceans alive for the preparation of seafood, mandating that these creatures be humanely dispatched before cooking. It's also expected to be completely phased out of the UK by 2030 which would be an incredible milestone. It's essential to keep this traction going and start the process here in the United States too. There are currently no regulations here governing the preparation or storage methods of these animals leaving a lot of wiggle room for what could be done.

As a society, we should strive to treat all living creatures with compassion and respect. We are at a pivotal moment where we have the choice to move forward with more humane and ethical methods for cooking crabs and other decapods, sparing them unnecessary suffering. It's been found that crustaceans likely posses nociceptors, the sensory neurons that produce pain signals. When exposed to noxious stimuli (heat and electrical shocks) they produce behaviors such as injury guarding which cannot be explained by simple reflexes alone. While it's technically not possible to prove they feel pain as they can't literally say "ow this hurts" it's safe to assume based on the evidence that they most likely experience every excruciating second of being boiled alive, sometimes taking up to several minutes depending on their size. (god forbid there's spices)

This tradition began back before the 19th century as a way to ensure food safety. Most crustaceans primarily feed on detritus (decaying organic matter) along with being a host for a species of vibrio bacteria that can lead to food poisoning if not handled incorrectly. The large volume of rotting material creates a breeding ground for bacteria which cannot be controlled once the crab is killed. Decomposition occurs rapidly, sometimes within hours of death leading to illness upon human consumption. We discovered that by boiling the crab alive we can kill off that bacteria before it can take over meaning we don't get sick. It created a new, sometimes necessary practice to ensure food safety in our coastal towns.

It seems to be a common misconception in today's world that crabs can't be eaten under any circumstance if they die prior to boiling. I've been told by family members who've attended culinary school that crabs release a poison upon death. We know now that that's not true, it's a misconception based on the previous information about rapid spoilage and it's crazy that it's being taught in institution. Crabs don't release poison upon death; they're completely safe to consume if cooked in a timely manner after stunning or dispatching. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to kill our catch before cooking, especially with refrigeration and proper food handling.

With our modern knowledge we know now that this longstanding tradition is no longer necessary and unethical. Crabs and lobsters can be euthanized in several humane methods. The most common one is a mechanical dispatch that involves either splitting the crab in half or spiking/removing the brain which if done correctly can be nearly instant. Electricity is another method used that is suggested to be completely painless for the animal although it should be used in tandem with mechanical methods to ensure death. Freezing is typically not an acceptable method as the time period is prolonged and can lead to more suffering, especially with cold water crabs like the Dungeness. They're adapted to survive in near freezing environments and don't die quick on ice.

Regardless of the method chosen, you shouldn't be processing any live animal for consumption without prior knowledge and experience on what you're doing. 

I'm calling on local governments, seafood restaurants, chefs, and home cooks in the Pacific Northwest to adopt humane practices when preparing seafood. Let's start by implementing mandatory stunning or other humane methods of dispatch before cooking crustaceans.

Join me in advocating for this change in cooking practices, ensuring that our actions align with the values of kindness and respect for life that we hold dear. Please sign this petition to help end the cruelty of cooking crabs and other decapods alive. Together, we can pave the way for more humane treatment of all animals. Passing laws in America can be tedious as each state has their own steps to go through. The goal is to start with Oregon and hopefully branch out from there.

References:

Elwood, R. W. (2025). A History of Pain Studies and Changing Attitudes to the Welfare of Crustaceans. Animals, 15(3), 445–445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030445 

Lauridsen, H., & Olsen, K. (2024). Boiling time to estimated stunning and death of decapod crustaceans of different sizes and shapes. Animals, 14(22),  3277–3277. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223277

Rincon, P. (2018b, January 31). Lobsters and crabs should not be boiled alive, say campaigners.        https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42873644

Roth, B., & Sigurd Øines. (2010). Stunning and killing of edible crabs(Cancer pagurus). Animal Welfare, 19(3), 287–294.      https://doi.org/10.1017/s0962728600001676  

Why are crabs cooked alive? Ethics & humane methods | 2025. (2025, July 21). Aquamarine Power.        https://www.aquamarinepower.com/why-are-crabs-cooked-alive/

Yano, Y et al., (2006). Occurrence and density of vibrio parahaemolyticus in live edible crustaceans from markets in China. Journal of Food Protection,  69(11), 2742–2746. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x-69.11.2742