Although the Swedish law states that animals kept in captivity must be treated well, protected from unnecessary suffering and kept in a suitable environment that promotes their welfare and natural behaviour, we treat crayfish, lobsters and crabs in a completely different way.
Crab claws are considered a delicacy, while the crab body itself is not always appreciated by customers. That’s why the claws are valuable to the fishing industry, while the body is harder to sell. And to ensure that fishermen don’t simply break off the claws and throw the clawless crabs back into the sea, there are, in Sweden, regulations governing the sale of crabs.
