Animal welfare risks from commercial practices involving cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans

Browning, Heather; Burn, Charlotte; Schnell, Alexandra; Crump, Andrew; Birch, Jonathan

Abstract

There is increasing recognition that the welfare needs of cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans are important. Current commercial practices involving these animals include a range of potential threats to their welfare, such as conditions of farming, capture, transport, and slaughter. This article draws from and updates our 2021 review for the UK government, recommending a range of relatively simple and impactful changes that could benefit welfare while highlighting important research gaps that should be prioritised to facilitate the drafting of guidelines for best-practice.

Citation

Browning, H., Burn, C., Schnell, A., Crump, A., & Birch, J. (2025). Animal welfare risks from commercial practices involving cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans. Animal Welfare Journal, https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2025.25

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Mar 24, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Apr 22, 2025
• Publication Date: Apr 22, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 2, 2025
• Print ISSN: 0962-7286
• Publisher: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2025.25