#Octopus sentience update

It will also not interfere with the shellfish catching or restaurant industries. The bill reform is intended to help guide future policies, so it will not affect existing legislation or industry practices like fishing.

They also recommended a ban on specific forms of decapod slaughter, such as boiling them alive, raising the temperature of water, and dismemberment of any kind. Researchers recommended a ban on the sale of live decapod crustaceans to untrained, non-expert handlers. For instance, it advises against declawing (removing one or both claws of a crab) and nicking (cutting the tendon of a crab’s claw). The report outlines specific recommendations for commercial practices. It is not simply the capacity to feel pain, but feelings of pain, distress or harm, broadly understood, have a special significance for animal welfare law,” the 80-page report reads. “Sentience is the capacity to have feelings, such as feelings of pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, warmth, joy, comfort and excitement. The LSE reviewed more than 300 studies and found “strong scientific evidence” to support claims of sentience.

#Octopus sentience update

The update came about after the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) published its government-commissioned independent review. Science 375 (6587): 1351-1352 doi: 10.1126/science.Researchers found strong evidence that lobsters and other sea animals are sentient. It may be time to look at our world differently.”įrans B. Invertebrates such as octopuses may experience other emotions such as curiosity in exploration, affection for individuals, or excitement in anticipation of a future reward. “But pain is just one morally relevant emotion. “If they can no longer be considered immune to felt pain, invertebrate experiences will need to become part of our species’ moral landscape,” Professor Andrews said. There may be a point when humans can no longer assume that crayfish, shrimp, and other invertebrates don’t feel pain and other emotions. “To determine that, we need greater co-operation between scientists and ethicists.” “We don’t have sufficient science right now to know exactly what the proper treatment of certain species should be.” How exactly to treat other animals remains an open research question.” “So, it’s really about retraining the way we see the world. “When we’re going about our normal lives, we try not to do harm to other beings.” “However, the research so far strongly suggests their existence,” said Professor Andrews, who co-authored the paper with Emory University’s Professor Frans de Waal. Humans can say what they feel, but animals don’t have the same tools for describing their emotions. Recognizing the sentience of invertebrates opens a moral and ethical dilemma. government found there is strong enough evidence to conclude that decapod crustaceans and cephalopod mollusks are sentient.” “A London School of Economics (LSE) report commissioned by the U.K.

“It’s been a real struggle even to get fish and mammals recognized under welfare law as sentient.” “It has long been thought in Western culture that other animals don’t feel pain or have emotions,” said York University’s Professor Kristin Andrews, a co-author of a paper published in the journal Science. However, research on mammals, fish, octopuses, and to a lesser extent crabs, has shown they avoid pain and dangerous locations, and there are signs of empathy in some animals, such as cows - they become distressed when they see their calf is in pain.

It is still thought by many that animals, including invertebrates, don’t feel pain and only have unconscious reactions to negative stimuli. Pre-verbal human babies were considered not to feel pain up until at least the 1980s. Octopuses can solve complex puzzles and show a preference for different individuals.