Introducing Lucy Fearnley, a passionate advocate for animal welfare and a valued super supporter of Crustacean Compassion. As an accomplished author and a voice for those without one, Lucy has dedicated much of her work to raising awareness about the often-overlooked world of decapod crustaceans whose welfare is at the heart of our mission. Her dedication to ensuring that these incredible animals are treated with the compassion and respect they deserve makes her a powerful ally in our fight for change. We are thrilled to have Lucy as part of our community and excited to share her insights with you!
How it all began…
I grew up in a rural area just outside Whitby, a fishing town on the North East coast of England. My childhood was spent in and around nature and animals, and from an early age I experienced a deep connection with wild creatures and animals of all kinds and found peace and solace being out in nature, close to plants and animals. I became involved with animal welfare charities as a child, supporting the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Living close to a fishing town, I became aware of the crabs that were brought ashore to be killed and eaten and felt an extreme sadness but also a kind of impotence; what could be done to help these creatures in a place whose history was steeped in and relied upon the fishing industry?
On 05 November 2020, during the Covid crisis, when leaving work, something happened on the dark and virtually deserted streets which compelled me to do something to help crustaceans. On 06 November, I posted the following message on my Facebook page. It only got one like, but it was a start at expressing my horror and raising awareness of the plight of crustaceans.
“Last night on my home, I passed an open backed van, the driver wasn't there, in the back were two crates of crabs, I stopped and looked at them, then noticed one of them was moving a leg, I felt an overwhelming sense of horror at what might happen to them, most likely boiled alive, I went to get the car to see if I could negotiate some kind of rescue or release for them, as contrary to many people's belief, there is scientific evidence that crabs , lobsters and decapod crustaceans feel pain and suffering, however, when I got back the van had gone. It reminded me of all the crabs and lobsters and other crustaceans which suffer day in day out in this area, and throughout the country because they are not covered by animal welfare legislation in the UK. In many other countries they are protected by animal welfare laws. Crabs can take 3 minutes to lose consciousness when boiled alive, something that would be unconscionable when considering a vertebrate species. Whilst I do not like the idea of killing them, there are humane methods, which are not enforceable at present. If you would like to take action on this please visit https://www.crustaceancompassion.org.uk/do-crustaceans... thank you x”
What could we do to help crustaceans?
Articles in local publications
Following this I contacted Crustacean Compassion and connected with a wonderful team there, and spent some time discussing the issues of crustacean welfare and what we could do to help. This resulted in a number of actions, which included, in 2020 an article on animal welfare issues for a local, widely read community magazine The Esk Valley News, which urged readers to support Crustacean Compassion’s campaign to protect decapod crustaceans in legislation. This was followed by an article in our local newspaper The Whitby Gazette in 2021, by myself & my husband, which asked for support to include decapod crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters in the Government's Sentience Bill, as they are widely recognised by the scientific community as sentient animals, capable of feeling pain. We explained their inclusion would mean they can be protected under animal welfare legislation, and that at present they have no such protection which can mean that many go through immense suffering due to inhumane handling, processing and slaughtering practices.
Raising awareness through our local community health initiative
We are very fortunate to be directors of a local not-for-profit health initiative, Common Cause, which runs a health shop, “The Dispensary” and has over 2,000 members. As part of our ethos, we have a commitment to animal welfare, and make Crustacean Compassion’s leaflets available for customers to take away and also display them in our window, in addition to having a collecting box on the counter. In our monthly email newsletters to our members, we update them on Crustacean Compassion campaigns and what actions they can take, and share this info on our Facebook page. The shop is also a good interface with members of the public where discussions on these issues can take place. We find that there is a lot of misunderstanding amongst members of the public about what happens with crustaceans. This ranges from the belief that it is no longer legal for crabs and lobsters to be boiled alive whilst conscious, to the belief that if crustaceans are put in the freezer first and then boiled, this is a humane slaughter method, and there is little awareness of the cruelty involved in scampi whereby langoustines are routinely dismembered whilst conscious and alive, despite being sentient creatures. There is a lot of work to be done raising awareness of the cruelty which is still sadly, commonplace.
Sentient Beings Art Installation
We were delighted this summer to be contacted by Jenna Coleman, a young local artist who, having seen our commitment to animal welfare issues in the shop, wondered if we would like an art installation on the theme of sentience and focusing on marine animals, for the Fish and Ships Festival in Whitby. It was a joy to work with Jenna, and her art installation "Sentient Beings" received a lot of attention and feedback, with viewers expressing how thought- provoking it was, and how beautifully she had portrayed these sentient creatures such as crabs, lobsters and fish. Crustacean Compassion’s leaflets were visible at the display, so that people could connect and take action if they wished to, and Jenna wrote a very moving piece to accompany the exhibition, explaining her love for marine life and ceramics and how she combined the two to promote animal welfare.
How we can all help support crustaceans
But anyone, everywhere can help crustaceans, I feel that no act of kindness or compassion is too small. You never know how speaking about your love for crustaceans and expressing your horror at the cruelty they endure, may encourage others to do the same. An article you write for a local newsletter or newspaper could raise awareness with people who are inspired to take action. Also, there are many ways you could raise funds for Crustacean Compassion- such as asking friends & family to make a donation to Crustacean Compassion instead of buying birthday/ Christmas presents, selling unwanted items and donating the proceeds, or holding a tombola /second-hand books stall at a local fayre. We also have another exciting idea to raise funds which has been brewing for a little while.. see below.
Exciting plans….
A while ago I had an idea that would combine raising awareness of the beauty of crustaceans and the work of Crustacean Compassion, with a way to raise funds for this award-winning organisation- the Crustacean Calendar. Each month would depict an artistic image of a decapod crustacean. I asked some artist friends to get the ball rolling and was blown away by the beauty of the images they created, including those of crabs and lobsters. Crustacean Compassion thought that a calendar was a good idea, and they decided to open up a call out to artists all over the UK to send in their artwork for consideration for this inaugural calendar!
This is where you come in! You don’t need to be a professional artist but if you would like your artwork of decapod crustaceans to be considered for this calendar, Crustacean Compassion would love to hear from you! Please visit Crustacean Compassion's website page, or email info@crustaceancompassion.org.
Crustacean Compassion intends to launch the calendar in December this year. They will be looking for people to sell the calendars and then donate the proceeds to Crustacean Compassion to help with their amazing work. Please get in touch with them if you would like to do this.
An evening with Crustacean Compassion!
We are also planning an evening with Crustacean Compassion in Whitby in early December this year, date and venue to be announced soon, where CEO Dr Ben Sturgeon will give a talk about the many fascinating species of decapod crustaceans, the work of Crustacean Compassion and how we as a society can do better to protect their welfare, in the wild, and as part of the seafood industry. The talk will include a Q and A session and an open discussion with coastal communities on their part in decapod crustaceans welfare. It would be an opportunity for the local community to come together, share knowledge, have open conversation and learn what we can do to better protect these animals and support communities & animals in the process. We are very excited about this chance to raise awareness and discuss the issues with the local community.
If you’d like a talk by Crustacean Compassion in your local community, or would like ideas on raising awareness and fundraising to help these beautiful creatures email info@crustaceancompassion.org
And remember to send you artwork in! Crustacean Compassion is waiting to hear from you!