A study published in Scientific Reports, led by Eleftherios Kasiouras (University of Gothenburg) together with researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Institute of Marine Sciences (CSIC) in Barcelona, demonstrated that Norway lobsters and langoustines (Nephrops norvegicus) clearly react to harmful stimuli.
The experiment consisted of applying low-voltage electric shocks for ten seconds. The animals responded with a defensive movement known as tail flipping, an escape behavior in the face of danger.
Response to analgesics
The definitive test was administering aspirin and lidocaine before the shocks:
- The lobsters without medication shook their tails about ten times.
- Those treated with analgesics reduced this behavior practically to zero.
- Lidocaine proved more effective, as it reduced pain without adverse effects.
- Aspirin, on the other hand, generated additional stress, evidenced by continuous grooming and increased lactate in the hemolymph.
Ethical and legal implications
The study confirms that decapod crustaceans are capable of feeling pain and responding to drugs, reinforcing the need to review culinary and laboratory practices.
- Countries like New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland have already banned boiling live lobsters.
- The United Kingdom legally recognized these animals as “sentient beings”.
- In Spain, the Law 7/2023 on the protection of animal rights and welfare establishes that any conduct causing pain or suffering can be considered mistreatment.
Nociception and animal suffering
The study differentiates between human pain and nociception, the automatic neuronal process that detects harmful stimuli. Although animals cannot verbally express their suffering, science relies on indicators such as:
- Changes in behavior (defensive movements).
- Physiological alterations (lactate levels).
- Molecular responses in nervous tissue.
Repercussions in gastronomy and research
The scientific confirmation that lobsters feel pain opens a debate in haute cuisine and commercial fishing. Restaurants that traditionally boiled live lobsters will need to adopt alternative stunning methods, such as:
- Progressive cooling on ice to reduce nervous activity.
- Controlled electric stunning before cooking.
- Use of local anesthetics in laboratory contexts.
In the scientific field, the results suggest that experimental protocols with crustaceans should include animal welfare measures, just as is done with mammals and birds.
The results are not only scientifically relevant but also socially and ethically. The evidence forces a reconsideration of how lobsters and langoustines are handled and cooked, both in commercial fishing and gastronomy. The researchers conclude that it is necessary to incorporate welfare protocols and alternative stunning methods to avoid unnecessary suffering.
