According to the New York Post, a seafood restaurant on Long Island, New York, has returned one of its oldest living lobsters to the wild.
Louie, a 22-pound lobster estimated to be 132 years old, was released last week in honor of National Lobster Week. Butch Yamali, owner of Peter’s Clam Bar, treated Louie more like a companion than food for his patrons. “It’s like a pet now, I couldn’t sell it, Yamali told the Post.
Since Yamali knew he couldn’t kill Louie, he decided to organize an event to do the right thing. Anthony Santino, Hempstead’s town supervisor, drafted a pardon for the ceremony. “Today I’m announcing an official pardon for Louie the Lobster, he said.
Despite a missing claw and many years of captivity, Louie is likely to survive. Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute in Maine, stated: “He’ll be just fine. There aren’t many predators who want to eat a big old lobster like that. Hopefully, he finds a mate—and lives happily ever after.
Louie is sure lucky to have escaped his fate as someone’s meal. Often boiled alive, innocent lobsters suffer immensely. Some say lobsters and other marine life can’t feel pain, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology reveals that crabs, lobsters, and fish do in fact all feel pain.
While it was certainly kind of this restaurant owner to free Louie, the best thing we can do to protect lobsters and all animals is to leave them off our plates and switch to a compassionate vegan diet.
Fortunately, vegan seafood options are readily available. Click here for a list of savory recipes.
