The government has commissioned an independent review into the scientific evidence of sentience in crustaceans. The intention is to discover whether crabs and lobsters could be considered to suffer when they are killed by boiling, so we can legislate accordingly in the new Animal Welfare (Sentience Bill), currently in the House of Lords.

Some countries have already banned boiling, notably Norway and New Zealand, both of which have substantial lobster fisheries, but there is likely to be a lot of noisy thrashing about from our own fishing industry and food lovers. Fishermen and fishmongers may have to cook lobsters in advance, while foodies will deplore the interference. 

As with oysters, there is a long history of keeping crustaceans alive until they are consumed, and a supply chain deeply embedded in culture and tradition. The reason is simple. All seafood degrades quickly once killed and those that scavenge on waste, like lobsters, crabs and oysters, also contain organisms in their guts that can poison humans.