Stunning and Killing of Decapods

The scientific information on welfare of decapods is scarce. The killing methods used has drawn public attention. In some countries the animals are protected by the law, so there is a discrepancy between law and practices. From its biology there is little evidence that decapods are able to feel pain or suffer analogues to mammals. Regardless of pain, humane killing methods should be cautiously chosen to satisfy the industry, the public and the laws of animal rights. The most common killing method for crab and lobsters are still either boiling or carving of live specimens. Both can be considered as inhumane. Similar to reduce the activity, crabs and lobster are either chilled or heated prior to boiling. Although the animal may lays motionless, it is uncert ain whether the animal is unconscious or paralyzed, prohibited from moving. Electric stunning is an interesting alternative to traditional killing methods. Electricity is well known to stun and kill animals, but it is uncertain what parameters are require d to stun or kill. The project group will investigate how lobsters, edible and king crabs respond to various stunning and killing methods. Behavioral responses will be used to determine consciousness and death by lack of regaining life. In simplicity, tw o ganglions control the dorsal and ventral parts of the body. Time until dysfunctions of one ganglion as the other is destructed will provide useful information on the dynamics of death. For heating, chilling and boiling, internal temperature will be moni tored. For electric stunning, 50 Hz AC will be used at various field strengths and duration to determine current thresholds for stunning and killing. We intend on using batch stunning where seawater act as a conductor allowing electric stunning of several individual at once regardless of size and specie. This will open for commercial use of excisting stunning devices for fish. The experiments will be carried out on lobster, edible and king crabs.