Charis Seafood Kiosk and Market at 6 Marine Parade Labrador on the northern end of the Gold Coast is one of the best and most well-known award-winning seafood establishments in Queensland.Their business has grown into a tremendous facility serving thousands of satisfied customers every week.
They have even branched out into the entertainment industry with the feeding of the wild pelicans every day at 1.30pm - to the absolute delight of hundreds of locals and tourists.Charis' commitment to the preservation of the local wildlife - with the pelicans flying in each day for a free feed of filleted fish frames - is widely applauded by the community.
But step inside the store and there is another issue which must be faced up to sooner or later.
And that is whether or not it is appropriate in today's enlightened environment for mudcrabs to be tied up in a large tank in the corner of a seafood shop or restaurant.
It is standard industry practice to do what Charis Seafoods is doing and no aspersions are being cast against this well-respected company.
Right across Queensland, crabs are routinely tied up with thin rope in such a way as to prevent all but slight movement by the crustacean.Imagine a cow or a dog being hog-tied for days on end, unable to effectively move - the RSPCA would be very quick to act against such cruelty.
Now is an appropriate time for a mature public discussion about whether or not it is right for mudcrabs to be tied up for long periods, as they await their fate as a gastronomic delight for some salivating seafood lover.
Should mudcrabs be permitted to move around freely in their dying hours or should they be allowed to be hog-tied like a wild animal - living in torment as they await their final fate of being cooked alive in a pot of boiling hot water?
The restaurant industry is sure to have strong views over this issue and will undoubtedly justify the current arrangements which sees thousands of mudcrabs tied up in large waterless tanks around Queensland every week.
The Queensland Government and the RSPCA need to address this issue as a matter of priority.
The following link to Fishing Hurts clearly makes the case that crabs feel pain.
Should the current practice be allowed to continue in Queensland or should mudcrabs be able to move about freely in the last few days of their relatively short lives?
Tying the crabs' claws together might be a safety issue when they are first caught.
But can we sit back and allow the keeping of these crustaceans - hog-tied for days on end in crowded tanks - awaiting some cashed-up customer to buy 'em, boil 'em and make a banquet of 'em?
The sooner this practice stops, the better.
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What do you think of the practice of hog-tying mudcrabs
in restaurants as they await their final fate?
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