Cooking live lobsters and crabs banned in the hospitality sector
Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO
< 1 min read
Effective date of this change in law: 1 July 2027
There is a plan but the government has yet to decide
The government has proposed a change in rules. The proposal will also be debated in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament. The proposal may therefore still change, but it can be helpful to be aware of this in advance.
For whom?
- businesses that prepare European lobsters, Canadian lobsters, or North Sea crabs
What changes?
Do you prepare European lobsters, Canadian lobsters, or North Sea crabs? You will no longer be allowed to cook these whilst they are still alive. The government wants to ban this practice because the animals experience pain and stress during this process.
The main changes are:
- You can no longer cook live European lobsters, Canadian lobsters, and North Sea crabs. The ban will initially apply only to these species.
- The government may add other species to the ban at a later date.
- The government can lay down rules on how these animals must be rendered unconscious before cooking at a later date.
When?
It is expected this ban will enter into effect on 1 July 2027.