Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ban the practice of boiling lobsters alive

Closed 85 signatures

What the petition asks

Already banned in other countries, including Switzerland, the practice of boiling lobsters alive is barbaric and inhumane, and should be made illegal in the UK.
There are already regulations in place for the ethics of kills in slaughterhouses of other animals. The practice of boiling lobsters alive is unnecessary and outdated, especially since we are unsure of whether lobsters are capable of feeling pain or not.

Similarly, the process before the actual boiling can be considered traumatic for the animals, as it includes shipping in containers, and being placed in tanks with multiple other lobsters (even though lobsters are solitary beings).

Timeline

29 Oct 2020 Petition opened for signatures
29 Apr 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 85
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 29 Oct 2020
Closed 29 Apr 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.