A popular seafood restaurant in Singapore has been criticized online
for its “cruel” claw machine which gave patrons the chance to catch a
live crab for $5 a token.
The chief executive of House of Seafood has had to issue a public
apology after a viral video showing people using a pink claw machine to
catch live crabs drew a lot of criticism both from the general public
and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). In a
statement posted on Facebook, Francis Ng claimed that the live claw
machine was actually meant to educate children about marine life, while
critics of the controversial attraction said that it caused unnecessary
harm to the crustaceans and encouraged people to see the live creatures
as thing to be won in a game. As a result of the backlash the claw
machine attracted, House of Seafood decided to temporarily close the
machines at all of its locations.
“As the chief executive officer of House of Seafood, I take full
responsibility for causing such unhappiness and I am sincerely sorry for
such an oversight,” Francis Ng said.
“Despite the measures to minimize the discomfort of the crabs, we note
the feedback from the public and will stop the catching of live animals
in the machine. (This will happen) completely in all House of Seafood
outlets worldwide.”
The restaurant had posted a video of clients using its controversial
claw machine to catch live crabs in early October, and then lifestyle
website Shout posted its own video on it as well, which drew a lot of
attention on social media. Apparently, for a $5 token, clients could try
their luck at the claw machine, only instead of a plush animal, they
could catch a live Sri Lankan crab. If they were lucky enough to catch
one of the 500 to 800 gram crustaceans the restaurant would cook it for
them for free.
“The game causes unnecessary harm to the animals and it also
encourages people to see animals as nothing more than objects to play
with and goes against our vision of a kinder society,” the SPCA
commented on the viral video of the claw machine. “Crabs are living
creatures, not toys.”
And while the claw machine did mean free publicity for House of
Seafood, it was mostly bad publicity, as most of the comments on
Facebook slammed the device as cruel and unnecessary. Some even called
it sick.
“Come on! Can we be a little thoughtful for other living creatures.
Imagine yourself being used in a claw machine. It is just sick!” on
Facebook user wrote.
“Yes, we eat crabs and seafood but this machine is totally
unnecessary and only for the added ‘fun’ for humans,” another person
commented.
At first, the restaurant management tried sugar-coating the matter,
saying that the claw had been modified as not to to harm the crabs, and
that the machine was cleaned every day to provide a good environment for
the marine creatures, but after the serious backlash from the public
and a reaction from the Animal & Veterinary Service, House of
Seafood decided to close down the claw machine. Recently, it’s been
relaunched, only instead of live crabs, people can catch packaged ones.
