They are difficult to euthanize and it is likely that they experience extensive suffering at fisheries. The analysis concluded that there is no evidence of a вЂњhumane and commercially viableвЂќ slaughter method for hyper-intelligent animals like octopuses. All are common commercial practices today. LSEвЂ™s report advises specifically against declawing, nicking, eyestalk ablation, the sale of live crustaceans to untrained handlers, and extreme slaughter methods such as live boiling without stunning. This is notably where the vast majority of distress and pain is inflicted on animals such as crabs and lobsters. While the British government has accommodated this new categorization, it will have no impact on existing industry practices in fishing and restaurants. CrustaceanCompassion NovemOctopuses and animal sentience We are delighted with this news! рџЋ‰ /kNhu6EVHeF The expert team concluded that crabs, lobsters & prawns can feel pain and strongly recommend their protection in animal welfare legislation рџ¦Ђ вЂњOne way the UK can lead on animal welfare is by protecting these invertebrate animals that humans have often completely disregarded.вЂќД«REAKING NEWS: Government report confirms decapods can feel pain! вЂњOctopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but have not received any protection outside science until now,вЂќ says Birch. The five-year project, led by LSE Associate Professor Jonathan Birch, drew on more than 300 existing scientific studies to reach this conclusion, and the authors specifically recommended the government expand its definition of animal welfare to include these animals. LSE found вЂњstrong evidenceвЂќ that cephalopods (such as cuttlefish, squid, and octopuses) and decapods (crayfish, crabs, and lobsters) have the capacity to experience вЂњpain, pleasure, boredom, excitement, frustration, anxiety, and joy.вЂќДЄll of these invertebrate creatures possess central nervous systems-one of the key benchmarks of sentience-like the vertebrates already recognized by the bill. The amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill (nicknamed the вЂњsentience billвЂќ) follows an independent review by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The committee will report on how well the government accounts for sentient animals in policy, likely assessing such industry practices in the future.An updated UK law will provide additional protection for octopuses, crabs, lobsters, and other animals newly recognized as sentient beings. However, when the bill becomes law, anВ Animal Sentience Committee will be created. In its response to the report, the UK government said expanding the definition to include the other species under the existing legislation would not impact practices around fishing, shellfish catching or the restaurant industry. And it cautioned against treatment such as declawing, nicking, eyestalk ablation, selling live animals to untrained handlers and extreme slaughter methods such as live boiling without stunning. The paper included a number of humane practices to abide by during transportation, stunning and slaughter. For other animals in these two groups, such as squid, cuttlefish and lobsters they found вЂњsubstantial evidence.вЂќ The report states there was вЂњvery strongвЂќ evidence of sentience in octopods and вЂњstrongвЂќ evidence in most crabs.

They used eight different indicators to measure sentience, including learning ability, possession of pain receptors, connections between pain receptors and certain brain regions, response to anesthetics or analgesics, as well as behaviors that included balancing threat against opportunity for reward and protection against injury or threat.

Researchers analyzed more than 300 existing scientific studies to reach their conclusion.

Crab sentience