BOILING LOBSTER
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In the last couple of years the topic of humane lobster consumption has come under focus by consumers as well as animal
rights organizations. A number of studies with the sole intent of discovering whether or not lobsters can ‘feel pain’ have been undertaken with mixed results.
A Norwegian study that was released in February 2005 indicates that lobsters are unable to feel pain, while a Scottish study done the same year suggests that
lobsters probably can feel pain. Whole Foods Markets have discontinued their live lobster sales as of June 2006 and will only sell raw and cooked then frozen lobster products from companies that they feel handle the lobsters with sufficient
humane treatment throughout the lobsters’ lives in captivity.
The main reason that Whole Foods quit selling live lobsters is that they cannot
ensure humane treatment of the live lobsters for the entire duration and process chain from captivity to the
lobsters arriving at the stores. Whole Foods is committed to humane treatment and quality of life for animals. This
doesn’t mean taking a stance on vegetarianism, but making sure that the lives of the animals are as happy and
healthy as possible.
It seems silly to me to debate over whether or not lobsters feel pain. The sensing of pain is simply the way that the body has of avoiding
damage to its tissues, organs and structural elements. If lobsters didn’t feel pain they probably wouldn’t have
survived so long and with so varied a showing throughout the earth’s history. Of course lobsters feel pain and will
try to avoid it.
For the most part humans ideal of humanity is to make sure that humans do not
suffer without reason. We go out of our way to make sure that our fellow humans do not receive inordinate amounts
of physical or mental anguish if it can be avoided. Though this is still being perfected by humanity as a whole, I
believe that there are signs of continued progression as more humans think about what the most humane ways of
treating our fellow earth inhabitants.
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