Crabs record pain in the brain in a similar way to other animals and humans, according to the research
A new study has found that crabs can feel pain, sparking calls for more humane ways to kill and cook them.
Shellfish such as crabs and lobsters are usually killed by being boiled alive.
But a team of researchers from the University of Gothernburg has said more humane methods need to be found after they looked into how the creatures process pain.
They found that crabs have a nervous system that can respond to harmful stimuli.
Eleftherios Kasiouras, a PhD candidate who lead the study, said the fact these stimuli were being processed in the crab’s brain was “just more proof” the animals can feel pain.
The study saw Kasiouras and his team measure the brain activity of 20 shore crabs by attaching electrodes to the set of nerves that make up the creature’s central nervous system.
When they applied a vinegar and electric shocks to the soft tissue areas of the crab’s body, they noticed an increase in the shellfish’s brain activity.
This brain activity was not present when non-painful stimuli such as salt water were applied to the same areas.
The findings suggest pain is “conveyed and transferred to the brain, and recorded there”, in a similar way to other animals and humans, according to Kasiouras.
He is now calling for the shellfish to be handled and killed in more humane ways to “minimise their pain,” Sky News reports.
In the UK, crustaceans are recognised as sentient animals, but they are not covered by animal welfare legislation in the EU.
As a result, there are no guidelines on how they should be handled or killed.
Kasiouras is hopes that research such as his will encourage the EU to “implement some legislation” regarding crabs and shellfish.
