MacRaven - Dave Haxton's Weblog

Fri, 16 Jun 2006

Whole Foods halts sales of live lobsters

Good on'em, for a number of reasons. First off, even if they're just bugs, they still need to be treated in a respectful manner. Secondly, when consumers buy a live lobster, it's a pretty safe bet to assume they're thinking "fresh". Six months in a holding tank isn't exactly straight from the sea.

But what's really heartening about this is that a larger corporation, operating in numerous locations nationwide, has taken a public stance based on an ethical concern. That's so rare as to be considered business gold.

Organic supermarket chain Whole Foods announced Friday it will stop selling live lobsters effectively immediately, citing the inhumane treatment of the animals.

(link) [CNN.com]

/Agriculture | 7 writebacks | permanent link

On 6/16/2006 11:03:48
Walter Jeffries wrote

I disagree. 1) I like to buy and cook live lobster so I can eat it - it is better than canned, frozen or otherwise delayed food. 2) the lobster is fresh at our local stores (not Whole Foods) having come from MA and ME right quick. 3) all the lobster tanks I've seen have been well kept up, clean, the lobsters healthy and the lobster turn over very rapidly - I'm aware of these issues as I keep marine aquaria and know a fair bit about what is involved. The stores are doing a wonderful job of upkeep. 4) I disagree with the whole 'ethical' issue - I'm not there to discuss philosophy with the lobster or form a life-long personal relationship, I'm planning to eat it. Hmm... I guess it is life-long for the lobster. :) 5) I'm a predator/scavenger, so is the lobster, eating it is a professional curtsey - the lobster would eat me given the chance - no ethical qualms there. 6) Lobster fishermen need to make a livelihood and sustainable fishing for lobster, while hard work, is a fine living. If the self-appointed ''Ethics Pros" stop the sales of live lobsters they're going to destroy one more good traditional, sustainable lifestyle. 7) This isn't real ethics, it is just a marketing gimmick and cost saver by Whole Foods.

On 6/16/2006 11:47:07
Dave H wrote

You may be right

about this being a marketing gimmick - but I hope not! I'm pretty obviously a predator, too - we raise all our livestock (except the goats) for meat. And I'm certainly not suggesting (and I don't think Whole Foods is, either, judging from their public statements on this) that folks stop eating meat because being a carnivore (or, more specifically, omnivores) is unethical. I'll leave that bit'o'idiocy to the PETA nutjobs. But I do insist on respectful treatment of animals, precisely because I'm a carnivore and plan on eating them. They're my food, and if a person doesn't respect what they eat, well, I believe there's more than one cause to the obesity crisis that's besetting us. Example: when I slaughter chickens, I take the head off in one swoop, rather than just cutting the jugular and letting them bleed out slowly. I also insist that any processor I use does the same thing, or something similarly quick and as painless as possible. With cattle and lamb, I insist on single shot dead bolts - again, no cutting and bleeding out to kill. They can bleed out just fine after they're dead, and hung properly. As quick and painless as possible. Not only does this show respect for my livelihood, it also results in tastier meat. I really believe this, although I can offer no hard evidence, only anecdotal. Stress and pain releases all manner of chemicals into the blood stream of any living creature, many of which result in muscle tensing and other (undesirable for tenderness and taste) effects. I've spent some months (sometimes years) raising these critters - why ruin a perfectly good animal at the last possible moment? So please forgive me if I can off a bit like an PETA protagonist - I'm not and never will be. But I do have strong feelings about respect for the environment - and my livestock are certainly a large part of that. Thanks for the comment, and Be well, Dave H.

On 6/17/2006 12:08:31
SB wrote

Good for lobsters bad for...

US fishermen. I think most of the softshell crab they're talking about was caught here on the Gulf Coast, whose fishing/shrimping industry is floundering due to lax COOL regulations that keep our supermarkets flooded with cheap Asian shellfish. There's a Whole Foods in Atlanta which probably did a brisk business in Gulf crabs that probably didn't wait long to get to the market. Now I'm a big fan of supporting local fish markets, you can't get anything fresher and you can't find a better way to support local economic growth. But, I'm also a big fan of making sure that the local fishermen have a broad market across the US for their products so they can compete with the afformentioned Asian "dumping". Quite frankly, if that means someone treats some blue crabs inhumanely on their way to market, I'm ok with it as long as they came from our Gulf. Now local catfish farming (usually with plenty of antibiotics and artificial feeds!), that's a whole other story...

On 6/17/2006 12:23:56
Dave H wrote

With you on that

Local is decidedly better - I hope that Whole Foods is considering that in their decision, and would imgine that they are. COOL labeling is a particular bugaboo of mine: I just can't understand the political resistance to it on any basis other than money changing hands. Perhaps we can get it with a new Congress, but I'm not holding my breath. Thanks for the comment and, Be well, Dave H.

On 6/18/2006 12:06:37
Arwin wrote

People first

I can't get too worked up for ethical treatment of animals when ethical treatment of humans is so poorly handled. I remember several years ago a young woman was raped and left for dead here in Indy. About the same time someone's pet dog was tortured by neighbors. The dog story received more press. About 10K was collected to cover vet bills for the dog. The poor rape victim got nada. I love my pets, but people are people and animals are animals. I say we prioritize our outrage. Currently the balance seems wrong to me. Ethical treatment because I'm going to eat the critters? I bet what the lobsters eat in captivity is a lot more palatable than what they eat in the wild.

On 6/18/2006 17:28:19
Walter Jeffries wrote

I'm curious as to how lobster tanks, and the lobsters, look in other regions. The lobster tanks at our local stores look pristine and the lobsters look healthy. This would be an interesting thing to poll. Where are you? Is the store a chain or local store? Is the store a general grocery store or a fish monger? How does the tank look? (water quality/clarity/foam/algae/scum...) How do the lobsters look? (health/damage...)

On 6/19/2006 22:18:57
Arwin wrote

PETA stands for....

People for eating tasty animals.

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