Swiss law that prohibits boiling live lobsters raises eyebrows in Quebec
MONTREAL — A new Swiss law that bans the practice of boiling lobsters alive is eliciting more smiles than concern on this side of the Atlantic.
The rules, which come into effect in March, stipulate the lobsters must be stunned before being killed, either by using electricity or the “mechanical destruction” of the brain.
The Swiss legislation comes amid a contentious debate on whether crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters feel pain.
Research published in Northern Ireland in 2013 found they sought to avoid unpleasant situations, suggesting they did indeed experience pain of some kind.