WBI Studies Repository (WellBeing International)
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Sentience politics : a fishy perspective
Get PDFThe plight of fishes has almost certainly got worse since Bentham (1789) coined the phrase “The question is not Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but Can they suffer?” Despite the fact that fishes are increasingly recognised as sentient animals worthy of protection under animal welfare legislation in many countries around the world, fishing practices are almost universally exempt activities. The human population continues to grow, and, surprisingly, per capita intake of fish is still increasing (FAO 2020). The source of this fish is not wild stocks (catches of which have remained more or less stagnant for decades after we pillaged the oceans), but rather from a huge increase in aquaculture production. Aquaculture is currently experiencing a rapid industrialisation phase reminiscent of that seen in terrestrial food production systems over the last century. There is an urgent need for the animal welfare developments of the past 50 years that were established for terrestrial food production systems to be applied to aquaculture. Given these facts, one alarming question presents itself: Who is looking after the welfare of fishes in the context of commercial fishing and aquaculture
Pain in Pleocyemata, but not in Dendrobranchiata?
Get PDFCrump et al.’s contribution to assessing whether decapods feel pain raises an important question: Is pain distributed unevenly across the order? The case for pain appears stronger in Pleocyemata than in Dendrobranchiata. Some studies report pain avoidance behaviors in Dendrobranchiata (Penaeidae) shrimp, but further studies are needed to determine whether the chemicals used are acting as analgesics to relieve pain, or as soporifics to reduce overall alertness. If the latter, the most farmed shrimp species may not require the same level of protection as crabs, crayfish, and lobsters
Sentience in decapod crustaceans: A general framework and review of the evidence
Get PDFWe outline a framework for evaluating scientific evidence of sentience, focusing on pain experience. It includes eight neural and cognitive-behavioural criteria, with confidence levels for each criterion reflecting the reliability and quality of the evidence. We outline the rationale for each criterion and apply our framework to a controversial sentience candidate: decapod crustaceans. We have either high or very high confidence that true crabs (infraorder Brachyura) satisfy five criteria, amounting to strong evidence of sentience. Moreover, we have high confidence that both anomuran crabs (infraorder Anomura) and astacid lobsters/crayfish (infraorder Astacidea) meet three criteria—substantial evidence of sentience. The case is, as yet, weaker for other infraorders, such as penaeid shrimps, highlighting important research gaps. Having demonstrated our framework’s application to decapod crustaceans, we hope that future research will apply it to other taxa
Crustacean Pain
Get PDFThis commentary discusses the target article’s methodology, the relevance of the claim that crustaceans lack a neocortex to the thesis that they feel pain, and the evaluation of the results of some trade-off experiments done with hermit crabs
IPCC - Climate Change 2022 - Technical Report
No full texthttps://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/boocov/1032/thumbnail.jp
IPCC - Climate Change 2022 - Full Report
No full texthttps://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/boocov/1029/thumbnail.jp
The WellBeing Nexus
Get PDFProgress following the Passage of the 2022 Animal Welfare, Environment and Sustainable Development Resolution at the UN Environment Assembly
In March of this year (2022), the UN Environment Assembly passed a Resolution (EA.5/Res.1) that requested the Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, to produce a report on the Nexus (or links) between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development. The passage of the Resolution is a landmark event because, in WellBeing International’s opinion, it emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to global health that addresses the well-being of people, animals, and the environment. The opening text of the Resolution (quoted in full below) emphasizes such interdependence
Why People Care More About Beautiful Animals Than Ugly Ones
Get PDFSeveral studies indicate that people are more concerned about cute or beautiful animals than ugly animals, no matter the animal\u27s capacity to harm humans or the animal\u27s perceived cognitive capacities
Local Action For Animals As A Stepping Stone To State Protections
Get PDFMunicipal ordinances can be an effective way to create animal protection laws at the local level, and could lead to great success at the state level. Passing laws at the local level allows people to help animals in their communities, while providing a model for other cities and jurisdictions. Local laws can also create momentum for statewide initiatives, which demonstrates a state’s strong commitment to protecting animals.
Legislation is a key avenue animal advocates use to effect change at scale, but there is not much research about how to choose tractable issues and lobby for them successfully. The goal of this project was to look at whether local laws have laid the groundwork for laws at the state level of government, as a potential avenue for change. This study aimed to determine whether there is evidence that local animal laws have been or could influence state laws. And secondarily, whether case law has influenced state legislation.
To this end, we reviewed legal materials relating to animal welfare in the United States. The scope of this review included legislation and case law from the past twenty years, related to a range of animal welfare topics. Our primary focus was on farmed animal issues, but with consideration given to other issues that are similar and potentially generalizable. Our goals were to identify any trends and provide recommendations to advocates based on previous attempts to broaden the scope of animal welfare laws
IPCC - Climate Change 2022 - Summary for Policymakers
No full texthttps://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/boocov/1031/thumbnail.jp