Activist wanted to free a pet, so she grabbed it and threw it in the ocean, killing it instantly

A pet crayfish has died after being stolen from a restaurant tank and thrown into the sea by an activist. The incident occurred at the Catch at the Old Fish Market in Weymouth, England, where the animal was kept as a pet rather than for food.

Restaurant owner Sean Cooper explained that the crayfish, which he had named along with a second one, were intended to serve as an educational point of interest for visitors. 

Cooper said, “Crayfish are unusual in these waters. The local fishermen had caught them, we had taken them into the tank, and when parents come into the fish shop with their children, they get to see unusual fish and shellfish. We’ve even got a video of one of them shedding its skin at midnight one night, which was amazing, and so we’re able to show that to children and educate them about how crayfish and lobsters grow and develop over the years.”

On April 10, 2025, at approximately 9:00 PM, activist Emma Smart entered the establishment and announced she was taking the animal because it needed to be free. Per LADbible, despite a staff member attempting to intervene, Smart grabbed the crayfish and ran out of the restaurant. She reportedly threw the creature into the harbour like a baseball.

Oh, I would have punched her out

Cooper insisted the sudden transition from the tank’s warm water to the cold sea killed the animal instantly. He explained that the second crayfish, which had been a companion to the first for a couple of years, died shortly after the incident. Cooper argued this death might have been linked to the loss of its mate.

Smart was subsequently charged with theft, assault, and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. She ultimately pleaded guilty to criminal damage. The court sentenced her to an eight-month conditional discharge and issued an order banning her from getting within 10 metres of the restaurant for the next three years.

This was not the first time Smart had targeted the business. In 2022, she was arrested for attempting to enter the restaurant while Sir David Attenborough was dining there to deliver a letter. At that time, she described the establishment as a symbol of excess and inequality, citing the cost-of-living crisis and low local wages in her statement.

It’s truly unfortunate to see these pets lost in such a misguided attempt at liberation. For the owner, who clearly valued these animals as a way to engage and educate the public, the loss is significant. Additionally, her punishment probably doesn’t feel like enough.

It’s a stark reminder that actions taken without understanding the biological needs of an animal can have devastating consequences, regardless of the intent behind them. The most recent instance of this is the God Squad decision in the Gulf of America, which is likely going to decimate the Rice Whales.