While visiting Costco I was horrified to see that live lobsters were crammed into a tiny barren tank one on top of the other to starve slowly before being boiled alive. This is cruel to lobsters—complex animals who feel pain—and I hope you will consider getting rid of the tank.
Lobsters and fish are recognized by experts as being capable of experiencing great suffering and distress. Scientists in the European Union classify lobsters as “category I”—that is, animals who experience pain. Also in this category are dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, and humans. Dr. Nedim C. Buyukmihci, professor of veterinary surgery, writes, “There is no question that lobsters have the ability to feel pain and suffer … [I]t would be inappropriate to do something to lobsters that you would not consider doing to conscious dogs, cats, or humans.” Dr. Jaren Horsley, an invertebrate zoologist at the National Zoo, found that lobsters possess a “sophisticated nervous system.”
Confined lobsters may suffer from stress, low oxygen levels, and crowding—and those who are “chosen” are typically cut up or boiled alive, suffering excruciating pain every second of the three long minutes that it takes for them to die.
This should send a strong message to your business that cruelty will not be tolerated. I hope you agree and will remove the tank right away.
