On the Eve of Winter Feasts, the British Regret Sea Creatures 0 9

Boiling live and conscious lobsters and crabs will be banned as part of the government’s strategy to improve animal welfare in England. This method of preparation has been deemed an "unacceptable method of killing," The Guardian reports.

Ben Sturgeon, the executive director of the charity Crustacean Compassion, explained that when live, conscious animals are placed in boiling water, they endure several minutes of excruciating pain.

"This is torture, and it can be completely avoided. Humane alternatives, such as stunning with electric shock, are readily available," he noted.

The ban on boiling live crustaceans has already been implemented in Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand. Animal welfare charities argue that stunning lobsters with an electric gun or cooling them with cold air or ice before boiling is a more humane method.

Among other changes in the Labour Party's strategy announced on Monday are a ban on battery cages and farrowing crates for pigs, ending puppy farming, consultations on banning electric shock collars for dogs, and introducing requirements for humane slaughter of farmed fish.