This is a question that’s vexing lawmakers in Britain. The British Parliament is considering whether invertebrates like lobsters and crabs should be classified as sentient beings, under a new “Animal Welfare (Sentience)” bill. It would mean recognizing that shellfish feel pain. The World’s Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports that, if passed, the proposed law could ban the practice of boiling lobsters alive in Britain.
Original air date: Jul. 14, 2021
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