Scientists are finally acknowledging what evidence now makes clear: lobsters feel pain.
Recent research shows that lobsters experience pain in ways comparable to other mammals, including humans. This means that boiling them alive—a long-standing cooking practice—likely causes significant suffering.
In response to these findings, experts are urging immediate legal action to ban the practice of boiling lobsters alive.¡
Researchers have found compelling evidence that lobsters experience pain in ways similar to other mammals.
For years, scientists debated whether lobsters’ reactions to harmful stimuli were true signs of pain or simply automatic reflexes. To investigate, a team at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg studied how Norway lobsters responded when given pain relief.
In the experiment, the lobsters were exposed to electrical shocks—levels considered painful for humans. Untreated lobsters reacted by rapidly flipping their tails in an attempt to escape. But when others were given aspirin or exposed to lidocaine in the water, those escape behaviors disappeared.
This shift suggests their reactions are not just mechanical reflexes, but genuine responses to pain. As lead researcher Eleftherios Kasiouras explained, responding to painkillers during harmful experiences indicates that lobsters feel more than simple reflexes—they experience something closer to pain.
Scientists have long debated whether lobsters’ reactions to harmful stimuli reflect genuine pain or are merely automatic reflexes.
“All the available evidence supports that decapod crustaceans experience pain,” researchers argue, adding that in places like the UK—where they are recognized as sentient—boiling them alive should be prohibited.
These conclusions align with a 2024 study from the same university, which found that shore crabs can also feel pain.
The push for change is already gaining ground globally: boiling crustaceans alive is illegal in countries such as Austria, Norway, and New Zealand, as well as in several Australian states.
“Based on scientific evidence, it is not humane to boil crustaceans alive, and so I support the concept of banning live boiling,” said study co-author and professor Lynne Sneddon.
“We should always seek to end the life of animals humanely. We would never accept boiling a cow or chicken alive, so it is time to rethink how we treat these animals,” she added.
Lynne Sneddon, a professor of zoophysiology at the University of Gothenburg and co-author of the study, supports banning the practice of boiling lobsters alive.
For large-scale and industrial settings, researchers suggest more humane alternatives, such as using electrical stunning to render lobsters unconscious or kill them quickly.
For those put off by the process altogether, plant-based substitutes like king oyster mushrooms or hearts of palm can mimic the taste and texture of lobster—without the ethical concerns.
