Animal welfare organisation Crustacean Compassion has strongly criticised the UK seafood industry’s newly released voluntary codes of practice, stating they fail to protect decapod crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, and prawns from inhumane treatment.

The much-anticipated guidance, developed by Seafish, the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) and the Crab and Lobster Management Group (CMG), was released on 2 August, but the organisation called it a “missed opportunity” to help the UK seafood sector remain competitive amid rising welfare expectations.