How To Kill A Lobster Before You Cook It | CBC News

How to kill a lobster before you cook it | CBC News LoadedPEIHow to kill a lobster before you cook itA researcher in animal behaviour recommends people kill their lobsters before cooking them, after extensive research suggests crustaceans can feel pain.

Researcher who believes lobsters feel pain say it would be more compassionate to kill them before cooking them

Nicole Williams · CBC News · Posted: Jan 17, 2018 3:31 PM EST | Last Updated: January 17, 2018PlayListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

Social Sharing

A researcher in animal behaviour recommends people kill their lobsters before cooking them, after extensive research suggests crustaceans can feel pain.

Robert Elwood, professor emeritus of animal behaviour at Queen's University in Northern Ireland, has spent more than a decade researching the issue.

• Lobsters 'very likely' feel pain when boiled alive, researcher says
• Swiss ban against boiling lobster alive brings smiles — at first

"They show all indicators of it being pain, so although I can't say if lobsters experience pain ... there's always an element of doubt," Elwood said.

"None of this is a reflex and it's all consistent with the idea of pain."

This comes after the Swiss government banned boiling lobsters and other crustaceans alive, a move Elwood supports.

"It takes at least a minute to boil a large lobster to death," he said.

How to kill them 'in a second'

For those wanting to show some compassion to the critters before cooking them, Elwood assures people there's an easy way to kill them "in a second."

Before boiling them, Elwood recommends using a big knife with a sharp point.

"Put it between the eyes on the head and plunge the knife in firmly, and then bring the blade of the knife down so it's parallel to the work surface," he said.

A large cut right at the top of the head will destroy the brain and would be enough to kill the lobster, according to Elwood.

"The knife goes in vertically but then you bring it down, and that should do it."

It's a little action that Elwood said will go a long way in easing any suffering for the crustacean that might end up on the dinner plate.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Mill River land sale was hidden from Mi'kmaq, lawyer charges at hearing
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | 2 new family doctors hired for Kings County

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices·About CBC NewsCorrections and clarifications·Submit a news tip·Report error

Related Stories

• Lobsters 'very likely' feel pain when boiled alive, researcher says
• Swiss ban against boiling lobster alive brings smiles — at first