Shellfish
Great pain for the sake of flavor
If we truly believe in compassion and justice, it can’t stop at the animals we find cute. We must dare to discuss the conditions of the animals we rarely meet eye to eye with—even if they don’t look like us on the outside. Read how you can make a difference.
Every day, millions of shellfish are killed. Shrimp, lobsters, and crabs suffer trapped in a system where their lives mean nothing beyond the profit we make from them. They can’t speak up. But that doesn’t mean they don’t feel. It just means that we don’t listen. We must change that.
Why should we talk about shellfish?
We often call them shellfish on our plates, but that’s actually a culinary term, which hides their true nature. Biologically, they are crustaceans, and we owe them the respect of calling them by their proper name—especially when considering their social and inner lives and their place on Earth as living beings.
Here at Dyrenes Alliance, we reject reducing crustaceans to "seafood delicacies." They are living, sensing individuals with a Plantespringet nervous system reduceres til "havets frugter". De er levende, sansende individer med et that allows them to feel pain—just like us. Yet we abuse billions of them purely for taste. This is why we must talk about crustaceans.Frequently Asked Questions
Which animals are crustaceans?
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Can crustaceans feel pain?
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Why do we fish crustaceans?
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How are they caught in fishing?
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How are crustaceans killed?
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Are there alternatives?
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How we fish crustaceans plantebaserede alternativer til både rejer, hummere og muslinger – og de bliver bedre og mere tilgængelige hele tiden.
Most crustaceans are caught using
bottom trawls , a destructive fishing method where heavy nets scrape the seabed, destroying ecosystems along the way. All life on the bottom—wanted or not—is hauled up and sorted later. The, en destruktiv fiskemetode, hvor tunge net skraber havbunden op og ødelægger økosystemer på deres vej. Alt liv på bunden – ønsket eller ej – bliver trukket op og sorteret senere. Og her er damage to marine environments is already irreversible.
It’s an incredibly violent way to be caught, but even worse conditions await on land: cramped in nets and ice-filled crates, slowly suffocating in air, or boiled alive without any anesthesia. All this would be illegal if it happened to mammals. Yet crustaceans remain a “legal exception.”
Shrimp—billions killed without awareness
Shrimp fishing is one of the planet’s most destructive and deadly industries. For every kilo of shrimp caught in tropical waters, up to 10 kilos of bycatch are killed—including sea turtles, fish, corals, and much more marine life.
In farming, shrimp are kept in extremely crowded ponds where disease, stress, and antibiotic misuse are the norm. Yet they are still served as “delicacies.”
Lobsters—boiled to death fully conscious
Imagine being thrown alive into boiling water. This is the reality for lobsters around the world. And yes, they feel it..
Research shows lobsters, crabs, and octopuses can feel pain and deserve animal rights protections. Yet we still allow them to be boiled alive.
In countries like Switzerland, Norway, and Austria, this practice is illegal—but in Denmark, it happens daily.
Octopuses—intelligent individuals labeled as “luxury food”
Octopuses aren’t just “fish with many arms.” They have advanced nervous systems, complex brains, and the ability to feel pain. Still, new farms are opening to supply a steady stream of octopuses as “exotic cuisine.”
In the UK, octopuses are now officially recognized as sentient beings, yet they’re still killed without anesthesia. In Denmark, they have no legal protection—they can be cut open, frozen alive, or slowly suffocated while we look the other way.
What’s the easiest way to solve this problem?
With growing focus on animal welfare, recent years have seen research into stunning methods for crustaceans. Among the most discussed is electric stunningwhere animals like shrimp,, lobsters, and crabs receive an electric shock intended to render them unconscious before killing.
While some companies claim stunning is a solution, the reality is this technology is either not used because it’s too costly or does not fully remove suffering. Even worse: it normalizes the notion that killing animals is acceptable if done “humanely.” But there is a solution that doesn’t require new technology. It’s right on the plate: a.
plant-based diet plant-based dietsYou can help us help crustaceans
You can help us help the crustaceans
But it’s not about perfection. It’s about taking a stand. When we choose what to eat, we also choose what to support. See how you can support our work at Dyrenes Alliance.
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