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That is a good article. I don't know why we ever thought crustaceans can't feel pain. I suspect it is because we want to treat them badly and we don't want to feel guilty about it.
In theory we treat mice and other animals better, but lab animals are subjected to many painful things. Animals used for fur are treated horrifically.
But we don't package live mammals for food and display them in a store.
Reptiles are often skinned alive and left to die which can take days. Again this is not done in public.
We know it is wrong to cause so much suffering to an animal so we hide it. Crustaceans are considered so low that they didn't think they needed to hide their pain.
I am glad people complained. We need to be constantly on watch for animal abuse. Our complaints do get results.
Catherine
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10-30-2015, 10:07 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-30-2015, 10:07 AM by Tobi.)
What are the RSPCA doing saying this....?(quoted from the article on "The Dodo"):
"the RSPCA told several outlets that crabs are exempt from the U.K.'s 2006 Animal Welfare Law, so it's entirely legal to package them alive."
What utter robotic nonsense. They should be doing something to protect creatures of all kinds, not spouting legal-speak!
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Yes you are right Catherine.
I can understand it may be hard for the RSPCA, as obviously they have to work within a legal framework. But the least they could do is kick up a fuss about this, as WE are doing! Not just turn a blind eye and quote the 'Law'.
Even if they made some fuss about it on Twitter or their Facebook page, or organised some lobbying....it would all help.
Instead, others have to do that.
They may say such things are not their responsibility. But in my view, they are, as they are in existence for the protection of animals.
The law concerning Crustaceans must be changed. The only reason -in my view anyway -for them to be exempt, is because it is very convenient. and means they can be boiled alive without anyone stoppng to think or feel for them.
I think there are plenty of studies which show they do feel pain. Well of course, any truly sentient Being would already know that they do! But for the law to be changed, scientific studies would probably have to be presented. So why AREN'T they being presented??
Also I bear a thought for those poor creatures involved in such 'scientific studies'......
There really is another way, and that is direct intuition and compassion. Simple.
It seems the ways of these things as they stand, are created and upheld in such a way that borders on the psychotic.