Crabs in Labs

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A message from Crustacean Compassion:

“Today is World Animal Free Research Day. This day highlights the importance of developing animal-free research techniques and protecting animals during scientific studies.

Decapods in Science

Decapods, like crabs and lobsters, are used in science, but because they aren’t protected by laws that monitor experiments, there’s currently no way of ensuring their welfare in labs. They could be used for any experiment, as well as being handled and kept in ways that are harmful to their wellbeing.

We’re working to change this.

Science in Legislation

A law exists called ‘Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act’, also referred to as ‘ASPA’. This piece of legislation regulates the use of animals in science to ensure welfare is considered. Studies using animals that are protected by this law must justify why they are conducting that study, and how they are respecting the welfare of the animals used. It also means the number of animals used must be reported, so there are records to gauge the scale of the issue.

Now that their sentience has been officially recognised, we’re calling for decapods to be added to this law so that they are protected in the same way as other animals during experiments. One of the first things we’ll be doing is arranging a meeting with the Home Office to discuss expanding ASPA to cover decapods too.

We also published a press release with the RSPCA on World Day for Laboratory Animals, calling for the protection of decapods in science. The story was covered by The Guardian and Independent, and Animal Journal.

Make sure to keep up to date with the campaign to see our next steps in getting decapods protected in laws such as ASPA.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire, Jules, Laura, Ann, Russell, Jane

Crustacean Compassion”

***

“I believe I am not interested to know whether Vivisection
produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn’t.
To know that the results are profitable to the race would not
remove my hostility to it. The pains which it inflicts upon
unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity towards it,
and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity
without looking further.”
Mark Twain
in a letter to the London Anti-Vivisection Society,
May 26, 1899

14 thoughts on “Crabs in Labs”

    • I like the sound of that. Which author are you? Which is your story? I just got a free trial of Amazon Kindle unlimited and I started reading the first story but it mentions a sealskin coat on the first page so I don’t want to read on. I’d like to jump straight to your story 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I’m Willow Croft (Willow Croft is my pen name)….and oh no, sorry about the sealskin coat thing. 😦 Yeah, one of the authors was pretty vocal about my story…they didn’t like it that I did a pro animal liberation story. Now I’m worried that you won’t like it. But I’d love to know what a fellow animal rights advocate thinks about it….sincerely…

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        Reply

        • When I looked at the book on Amazon kindle reader (or whatever it’s called), it didn’t start with the contents, list of stories and authors, just went straight into the first story. So I went back and searched for ‘contents’ and then I found your name and was able to go straight to your story. I loved it! But it’s left me wanting more. It seems like an excerpt from a much longer story and I want to read it all! xxx Have you written more about Sarah and Michael and their team?

          Liked by 1 person

        • You’re welcome. I have one suggestion. In the story where they rescue the cat with electrodes on her brain, you could decide which sex the cat is so that you can refer to her as he or she, rather than it. Sometimes, even when I can’t be sure of the sex, I just choose at random so that I don’t have to refer to animals as it 🙂 ❤

          Liked by 1 person

        • Ohhh…that’s a great suggestion. I try to be conscious of referring to animals as “it” but old-school habits are hard to get rid of. That’s a good catch! What do you think about using gender neutral terms “they” and “them”?

          Liked by 1 person

        • I know what you mean, we have to train ourselves out of it. Yes, gender neutral terms are fine. And I think, sometimes, if the story doesn’t allow your character to know the animal’s sex, you can start off by saying “he or she was …” and then just choose one or other as you continue to describe them. 😀 xx

          Liked by 1 person

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