Will Salcombe Crab Festival Go Vegan?
Ahead of the Salcombe Crab Festival, we sent a letter and a special delivery of Good Catch New England Seasoned Crab-Free Cakes to the event organisers, urging them to make the event an all-vegan, animal-friendly affair.
In exchange for the festival keeping animals off the menu, PETA is offering to sponsor next year’s event, host vegan cookery demonstrations, and provide free samples of vegan seafood.
Crabs Are Cool
Crabs are capable and incredible animals. Did you know that the government recently recognised crustaceans as sentient beings? Just like us, they feel pain, have distinct personalities, and want to live. They also have well-formed senses of sight, smell, and taste.
Crabs adapt to changing cues in their environment and can learn from their mistakes. Not all humans are capable of that!
There Is No Humane Way to Eat a Crab
Humans kill hundreds of millions of crabs every year.
Caught crabs are crowded together in holding containers while they await their fate. Scared and confused, they may fight with each other after already sustaining injuries from rough handling.
Many crabs’ legs are damaged and torn off when they are quickly ripped from fishing nets.
Countless crabs die each year before they even reach the market.
Then, the animals are often thrown into pots of scalding-hot water and boiled or steamed alive. In their struggle to escape, crabs fight so hard that their claws often break off.
Eating Crabs Kills Turtles, Too
Fishers use several methods to catch crabs. They may set traps in shallow water and drag huge nets along the ocean floor. These methods also capture birds, fish, and other marine animals, who are thrown back into the water, often dead or dying from their ordeal.
Crabs Need Protection
Following research findings from the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill recognised crabs, lobsters, and octopuses as sentient beings.
We hope this acknowledgment will influence future government policy in favour of protecting these wonderful animals.
Celebrate Sea LIFE by Leaving Crabs Off Your Plate
For the sake of our oceans and everyone who lives there, try to see food differently. Next time you’re craving a taste of the sea, try one of these vegan seafood options:
