GETTY Michael Gove could cave into the animal right campaigners concerns

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There has been a longstanding debate between scientists and researchers about whether lobsters are able to feel pain. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology found crabs chose to avoid an electric shock when they are exposed to it. Dozens of high-profile campaigners have demanded stronger protection to prevent lobsters and crabs from being cooked alive. However, chefs have always argued that shellfish do not feel pain when they are cooked alive.

High-profile campaigners have demanded stronger protection to prevent lobsters and crabs from being cooked alive

The argument for this method of cooking is that chefs believe that boiling lobsters alive reduces the risk of severe food poisoning because bacteria thrive on the decaying flesh of lobsters. Therefore, it is seen as safer to keep the animal alive until the moment it is served. A Conservative source told the Daily Mirror: “It’s Michael’s latest crusade to woo the luvvies in his blatant leadership bid. “He’s desperate to look like a planet hugging animal lover, but his foodie friends are going to be furious. It’s the last claw!”

GETTY Some chefs believe it is better for the food if the lobster is kept alive while it is boiled

The campaigners signed a letter urging Environment Secretary Michael Gove to categorise the crustaceans as sentient organisms in a new Animal Welfare Bill. The Swiss Government has ruled that lobsters need to be stunned now before they are cooked and they should be kept in a natural environment rather than on ice. New Zealand and Reggio Emilia, which is an Italian province that adjoins Switzerland, have already banned the practice. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “As Minister George Eustice has previously stated this is an issue the Government is considering.

GETTY Animal right campaigners have set up a petition to stop lobsters from being boiled alive

“We are committed to the very highest standards of animal welfare and are taking strong action in this area, including raising maximum sentences for animal cruelty to five years and making CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses. "As the Prime Minister has set out, we will make the United Kingdom a world leader in the care and protection of animals as we leave the EU.”