Save Crabs from Labs

My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I share public concern about the ethical treatment of all sentient beings. The current exclusion of decapods from the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) is inconsistent with their recognised sentience. The Liberal Democrats have a proven record on animal protection – during the Coalition Government, we successfully implemented a ban on animal testing for household products, through an amendment of ASPA.

If we acknowledge animal sentience, it follows that animal cruelty must be considered unacceptable. We should therefore seek to change the law to better protect animals from harm. Incorporating decapods into ASPA would not necessarily prohibit research but it would ensure that their use is subject to ethical review, licensing, and welfare oversight, standards that apply to all other sentient animals used in experiments.

I have raised this with the Home Secretary, urging her to amend ASPA without further delay. Thank you for bringing this important issue to my attention.