On Tuesday, 10 million orange lobsters were returned to the ocean after being found in a supermarket in New York, as reported by the animal advocacy group Hume Long Island.
Typically, American lobsters appear greenish-brown or olive green, making the lobster, now called “Jean-Clawd Van Dam,” quite remarkable. It’s interesting because they only turn red or reddish-orange when cooked.
Footage from John De Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, shows the lobsters in a tank at a Rochester supermarket before their release back into Long Island Sound.
Di Leonardo emphasized that lobsters are sensitive and intelligent creatures, capable of traveling over 100 miles each year. “Like all aquatic animals, they can feel pain,” he noted, pointing out that being caught or kept in small aquariums can be distressing for them.
The organization stated that several countries, such as Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand, along with the Italian city of Reggio Emilia, have enacted laws banning the boiling of lobsters alive.
Thanks to this week’s rescue, Jean-Clawd is free to enjoy life, a rare orange beauty in the vast sea.
Meanwhile, it’s alarming that around 100 million lobsters are trapped and killed annually in the U.S. Reports indicate that various colored lobsters—orange, yellow, and blue—often face similar fates, whether being cooked or confined in small tanks.
Di Leonardo added, “Every lobster is perceptive and desires to live, regardless if it’s orange, blue, or the more common brown.”
Interestingly, American lobster habitats range from Newfoundland in southeastern Canada down to North Carolina, with about 80% of lobster catches coming from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine.
