Dutch Parliament majority wants to ban boiling of live crabs and lobsters
Members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, have renewed calls for a ban on boiling lobsters and crabs alive, describing the practice as unnecessarily cruel. A majority in the Tweede Kamer supports a new motion introduced by the Party for the Animals (PvdD) and the Party for Freedom (PVV) to prohibit the practice immediately.
“Lobsters and crabs suffer unnecessarily. We must stop this now,” said PvdD member Ines Kostić during a parliamentary session.
The practice of boiling lobsters and crabs alive is still common in many Dutch restaurants, driven by the belief that the fresher the preparation, the better the taste. However, lawmakers argue that this method inflicts severe suffering on the animals.
In the Netherlands, invertebrates such as lobsters and crabs are not protected under laws regulating humane methods of killing animals for consumption.
Several countries, including Switzerland and New Zealand, have already banned boiling lobsters and crabs alive. The United Kingdom implemented a similar ban after a government-commissioned study concluded that lobsters, crabs, and octopuses can experience pain and suffering.
In 2021, a parliamentary majority called for a ban on live boiling. Then-Minister Carola Schouten urged chefs to kill the animals before boiling but said she could not impose an immediate ban. The current State Secretary for Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality, Jean Rummenie, has also delayed taking action, citing the need for further research into alternatives, such as stunning or humane slaughter methods.
Rummenie has stated that these studies could take several years and emphasized the need to assess the effectiveness of alternatives like electric stunning or a precise stab with a knife behind the eyes.
Kostić dismissed the delays as unacceptable. “The ministry keeps stalling and postponing. They’re now stretching things further by conducting more studies, even though other countries and restaurants already have viable alternatives. The live boiling must stop immediately. The Tweede Kamer has been demanding this for years, and we’re making that call again with a strong parliamentary majority,” Kostić said.
PVV lawmaker Dion Graus, who co-authored the motion with Kostić, echoed her frustration. “The state secretary is postponing again. We cannot wait years for this to change. We need to accelerate the process,” Graus said.
The motion is backed by GroenLinks-PvdA, SP, and D66, ensuring majority support.
Dutch animal science expert Gert Flik has also called for a ban. “Lobsters are invertebrates, and people often assume they can’t feel pain because their nervous systems work differently from those of vertebrates,” Flik told RTL Nieuws in a 2021 interview.
Flik explained that while invertebrates experience pain differently than humans or mammals, they still feel it. “They have antennae on their heads that allow them to detect harmful stimuli,” he said.
