Rare orange lobster, named Clementine, saved from grocery store and returned to ocean
Clementine, a rare one-in-30-million orange lobster, was rescued from a Stop & Shop in Long Island and released back into her natural ocean habitat thanks to an animal advocacy group.
Photo: Humane Long Island
A rare lobster has been returned to the ocean after being rescued from the seafood section of a New York grocery store.
The lobster, now named Clementine, stood out from her fellow crustaceans when the shipment arrived at The Stop & Shop in Southampton on Long Island due to her bright orange coloring.
According to the rescue organization, Humane Long Island (HumaneLI), “this lobster is an exceptional find, with a 1-in-30-million chance of being orange.”
Her unique appearance turned her into a celebrity at the grocery store, which initially contacted the Long Island Aquarium in hopes of sending her there instead of killing her. However, the aquarium declined the offer, according to a news release from John Di Leonardo, president and executive director of HumaneLI.
“Celebrate Clementine’s successful journey back to the wild by respecting all lobsters and not eating them, because no compassionate person should boil an animal alive.”
Southampton Animal Shelter stepped in and notified Humane Long Island about Clementine. HumaneLI then contacted Stop & Shop management, who agreed to donate the rare lobster for rehabilitation and release back into her natural ocean habitat.
"We got ourselves a big saltwater tank to rehab her in, we brought her down to the ocean, and she immediately began foraging," Di Leonardo told NBC News on Wednesday. "She was ready to go as soon as she saw the ocean."
Di Leonardo, an animal rights advocate, said all lobsters deserve to live freely.
"Lobsters are sensitive, intelligent animals who can travel as far as 100 miles or more each year. Like all aquatic animals, lobsters will pain and suffer when taken from their ocean homes to be eaten or confined to cramped aquariums," he said. "Humane Long Island urges everyone to celebrate Clementine's successful journey back to the wild by respecting all lobsters and not eating them, because no compassionate person should boil an animal alive."
Humane LI has a track record of rescuing animals from exploitation, including a wallaby exploited for photo ops on the Coney Island boardwalk and a South American ostrich confined by an unlicensed animal exhibitor. The organization has also managed to close down multiple slaughterhouses.
"We rescued over 200 animals this year, but saving 200 animals is just as easy as not eating them," Di Leonardo said, encouraging people to go vegan.
"It's never been easier to keep animals off your plate," he added. "Now you can get vegan lobster rolls. You can go to the store and get crabless patties that you can microwave."
Photo: Humane Long Island
Boiled Alive
Although Clementine was spared an excruciating death, her fellow crustaceans are not as lucky. Lobsters are typically killed by either being sliced in half or boiled alive without stunning, despite being sentient and able to feel pain.
The inhumane treatment of these animals begins long before they are killed, as they endure severe welfare risks from being live-exported across vast distances, to being stored in cramped filthy conditions, unable to move.
Laura Poulson, Campaign Manager for Crustacean Compassion says: “It is not just the end point of killing these animals that poses welfare risks. They also suffer from being kept alive, on ice, or if in water, in dirty and crowded tanks with many other animals. They are carried in plastic bags that do little to protect their fragile limbs and can cause suffocation, before being stored in fridges or freezers in consumers' homes – all these practices cause injury, distress and potentially death.”
On top of this, the crustacean seafood industry is considered one of the most energy-intensive sectors. Crustaceans are driving “94% of the projected increase of global fishery carbon emissions, due to low capture efficiency”, according to the Ecological Society of America.
How can you help:
As science continues to draw new conclusions evidencing the sentience of decapods and other marine animals, legislation must catch up – and it's up to activists to make their voices heard.
Sign petition: Will you join Species Unite in calling on Amazon to prohibit the sale and shipment of live lobsters? These intelligent sentient beings deserve so much more than being packed into styrofoam containers and shipped thousands of miles from their seabed homes.
Write a letter to the editor: When it comes to improving the lives of animals, writing a letter to the editor can be a vital tool for advocacy. By sharing your perspective on topics like animal welfare legislation, conservation issues, and cruelty cases you're not only raising awareness but also inspiring others to take action. Please consider writing a letter to a newspaper or magazine on the topic of lobster boiling and why it must be banned. Need guidance? Here are 8 simple steps for writing a letter to the editor.
Learn more about why we boil lobsters alive and their sentience by reading this Species Unite article.
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