A seafood company killed a lobster — and was convicted of animal cruelty

FYI,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/03/07/a-seafood-company-killed-a-lobster-and-was-convicted-of-animal-cruelty/?utm_term=.e191880ab272

"According to the Guardian’s description of what happened, workers at Nicholas Seafoods were seen by investigators “butchering and dismembering lobsters with a band saw, without adequately stunning or killing them.” The lobsters’ tails were cut from their bodies while the animals were still alive, in violation of local animal cruelty laws, and led to a conviction that may be the first of its kind in the world."

I don't like lobster myself. But if I did, and I cooked one up, I would do the humane thing and instantly kill it by smashing it's head in with a hammer. Then I would boil it. No need for it to suffer.

 

The company was fined $1,500

We live in a time where people personify everything. The only surprising thing here is that this wasn't in America. Next up: Fisherman charged with baiting a hook.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpzuFlZbb9A

Why couldn't they at least quickly chop it's head off first so I wouldn't feel anything?

 

Oh my gosh, we couldn't disagree more lol. The very notion of humane treatment is based on the feelings and emotions that people have for the thing in question- the lobster has no reciprocation. Whether or not the lobster feels pain isn't the point. People imagine it hurts, or that it feels a certain way, and that evokes emotion in them...the person.

Ask any chef how to split a lobster. 9 out of 10 will tell you they do it live. The other guy is an idiot.

I realize this is about 2 replies away from spiraling into a dark morality debate- I'm not going there lol.

 

Aren't crab and lobster typically cooked alive?

 

if you want them boiled or steamed, yes. If you're halving them prior to cooking, they have to be alive. Death ruins meat. (that sounds funny, but it's true)
There are lots of practical reasons for this- but a very simple example is a menu preparation of 1/2 lobster. You wouldn't cook it, cool it, cut it, store it, and then remove from storage, and reheat it to serve- that's not only ruining the quality, but you have more opportunities to impart bacteria/contamination/food borne illness. The less human handling, the better. The less the kitchen staff cooks and cools the better. Controlling temperature is the big picture issue- it is VERY hard to cook-cool-cook-serve without temperature issues. So, the very safe proper way is to keep it live, split it live, and then prepare immediately- serve without cooling.

Can you stun it first? I don't know, probably. When you split it with your knife it's dead quickly too- and without stunning it. Killing an animal to eat doesn't bother me ethically, but no one can deny that it's good stewardship to do it as quickly as possible. Why were these guys putting lobsters on the band saw? Because customers/restaurants order whole cases of tails, claws, and splits. Holding live lobsters is expensive, and requires tremendous labor cost.

If this whole discussion troubles you, you probably shouldn't upgrade your Red Lobster special by "adding a tail for only $7.99 more" because buying tails by the case means these guys were killed before being cooked.