The report also said there is no evidence of a slaughter method for creatures like octopuses that is "both humane and commercially viable on a large scale," recommending more research be done to identify more humane practices. ![]() The report also made specific recommendations on animal welfare practices based on its findings, including:īanning the sale of live crabs and lobsters to "untrained, non-expert handlers"īanning the following slaughter methods when a viable alternative exists and when electrical stunning is not done first: boiling alive and live dismemberment "Octopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but have not received any protection outside science until now." "I'm pleased to see the government implementing a central recommendation of my team's report," said Jonathan Birch, a professor at LSE who works on the Foundations of Animal Sentience Project, adding they reviewed over 300 scientific studies. The review, published this month, found there was "strong evidence" that such animals are sentient, which the review defines as having "the capacity to have feelings, such as feelings of pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, warmth, joy, comfort and excitement." The decision followed the findings of a government-commissioned independent review by the London School of Economics and Political Science. However, unlike some other invertebrates (animals without a backbone), decapod crustaceans and cephalopods have complex central nervous systems, one of the key hallmarks of sentience." “The science is now clear that decapods and cephalopods can feel pain and therefore it is only right they are covered by this vital piece of legislation.The announcement said the bill "already recognizes all animals with a backbone (vertebrates) as sentient beings. “The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill provides a crucial assurance that animal wellbeing is rightly considered when developing new laws,” says Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith. When the bill becomes law, it will establish an Animal Sentience Committee of field experts that will be in charge of issuing reports on how well the government has taken animal welfare into account in its decisions. In practice, however, the new bill won’t immediately affect any existing industry practices, but it will ensure that animal welfare is considered in future decision-making. ![]() Some of these include live boiling without stunning them first, transporting them in icy water, using extreme and inhumane slaughter methods, and selling live decapod crustaceans to untrained handlers. The review emphatically recommends against certain common commercial practices that involve these animals. “One way the UK can lead on animal welfare is by protecting these invertebrate animals that humans have often completely disregarded.” “The amendment will…help remove a major inconsistency: octopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but have not received any protection outside science until now,” says Dr. The review drew from the crucial research of over 300 existing scientific studies to evaluate evidence of sentience in these creatures and draw a conclusion. Jonathan Birch from the Department of Philosophy, Logic, and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. These findings emerged from a government-commissioned independent review led by Dr. The UK’s decision to include decapod crustaceans and cephalopod mollusks under the protection of its Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill is the result of recent scientific evidence that proves these animals have the capacity to experience pain or distress. ![]() Vertebrates, on the other hand, are commonly considered sentient by humans and were already covered under the law. Due to their lack of backbone, octopuses and other similar invertebrate animals have previously struggled to be recognized as sentient in spite of their complex central nervous systems. Sentience generally refers to an organism’s capacity to consciously perceive or experience feelings and sensations like pain or harm, and it’s something that has been debated for centuries.
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