I can’t look my dinner in the eye

UPPER class seafood cuisine is something I’ve never been able to wrap my head around.

For some, the sensation of walking into a restaurant and sentencing a lobster to a slow and horrific death may be empowering.

A diner looking into the eyes of the creature they’re choosing to fry is something I find harrowing.

I can’t help but feel like an element of humanity is missing.

Being boiled alive is the ultimate form of suffering, and yet some people do it to these animals nonchalantly on a neardaily basis.

It sounds hypocritical — because I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan.

In fact, I love bacon, beef and chicken more than the next person.

But this level of involvement and awareness in their death is a bit unnerving.

According to many, lobsters don’t feel pain — but that is something I find difficult to believe.

Researchers at the University of Maine found that the most visible sign of distress in a dying lobster is a twitching tail, which evolved as an escape reflex. That to me is enough confirmation that they have some kind of awareness. I bring this up because I purchased feeder yabbies from a pet store about six years ago. They were the size of 50 cent coins and meant to be fed to aquarium fish — but I just couldn’t do it. I ended up settling them in another tank and still have them to this day. They’ve grown to be the length of a pencil, and in my opinion, have developed intricate personalities. I couldn’t possibly imagine chucking them on the fryer for dinner.

Then again, when it comes to animals I’m particularly sensitive.

I proudly boast being rightwing oriented and often conform with conservative views on big issues.

I’m anti-immigration but yet, somehow green enough to care about nature.

With the horrific torture that animals are subjected to in this world, it’s very easy to sympathise.

If I were a proper advocate, I’d probably live on rabbit food.

I don’t, but I do buy freerange chicken when I can and try to do my part, even if it is very little.

And that’s why I don’t go for live lobsters if I find myself at a seafood restaurant.