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Protect Crabs in Labs

Protect Crabs in Labs

Send to my MP

Protect Crabs in Labs

Crabs, lobsters, and prawns are sentient animals - capable of feeling pain and suffering - and in 2022, UK law recognised this. But shockingly, they are still not protected under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the law that regulates how animals are used in research.

This means decapods can be used in UK laboratories without any legal safeguards: no ethical review, no licensing, no welfare standards, and no accountability.

Nearly 30,000 have been used in experiments since 2018 - all without protection.

We’re calling on the Home Office to close this loophole and include decapods ...

Protect Crabs in Labs

Crabs, lobsters, and prawns are sentient animals - capable of feeling pain and suffering - and in 2022, UK law recognised this. But shockingly, they are still not protected under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the law that regulates how animals are used in research.

This means decapods can be used in UK laboratories without any legal safeguards: no ethical review, no licensing, no welfare standards, and no accountability.

Nearly 30,000 have been used in experiments since 2018 - all without protection.

We’re calling on the Home Office to close this loophole and include decapods in ASPA now. It's time to bring the law in line with science, compassion, and public expectation.

👉 Take action today: urge your MP to protect crabs in labs.

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Tell Your MP

Crabs, lobsters, and prawns are recognised as sentient - but still have no legal protection in UK labs. Despite being able to feel pain, they’re the only sentient animals used in experiments without welfare oversight.

Urge your MP to call on the Home Office to amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act and protect #CrabsInLabs.

Compose your email

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When emailing an MP, personalise your message, keep it short and clear, and remeber to always be polite - a respectful tone increases the likelihood of a response.

If you know the MP or share common interests, remind them of your connection.

To personalise further, you can include key points like:

  • ASPA regulates animal use in scientific research, requiring licensing, ethical review, and welfare standards. It covers all vertebrates and some invertebrates, such as octopuses, but excludes decapods, despite them being recognized as sentient under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.

  • Freedom of Information data reveals almost 30,000 decapods were used in experiments from 2018–2024 without protection or regulation.

  • A YouGov poll found that 61% of respondents support including decapod crustaceans under ASPA to protect them in research.

  • Including decapods in ASPA would not ban research but ensure ethical practices, proper training, and legal standards for their care, aligning with the 3Rs principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement.

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