PETA Statement: Rare Yellow Lobster Belongs in Ocean, Not Imprisoned at Aquarium

For Immediate Release:
August 19, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman about Miss Ruby, a rare yellow lobster purchased by Flatiron District restaurant Burger and Lobster, which is reportedly handing her over to the Long Island Aquarium:

At only 5 or 6 years old, this lobster still has decades of life ahead of her and should be allowed to enjoy them in her ocean home—not spend them behind glass in an aquarium prison. Though her coloring may be one in 30 million, she has the same natural drive that all lobsters do to journey and explore 100 miles or more each year, and she will undoubtedly suffer in captivity. PETA urges humans to respect all lobsters and not eat them, because no compassionate person would boil an animal alive.

In addition, an eyewitness exposé from PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—of Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster revealed that slaughterhouse workers tore off live lobsters’ claws and then used metal pipes to pry their heads from their bodies. Parts of the lobsters’ bodies were thrown into the trash, while the animals were still alive and able to feel pain.

More information is available at PETA.org.