Animal sentience

From time to time I wonder about which animals might be considered to be conscious, perhaps in the same sort of way as a human infant. Certainly including feeling fear and pain. I think many, if not most people, would now agree that plenty of mammals are conscious: chimpanzees and dogs for a start. There is much debate about fishes and octopuses. Matters on which I post from time to time – see, for example, references 1, 2, 3 and 4.

So I was interested to read in yesterday’s Guardian that the House of Lords is now taking an interest in the matter and is thinking about a bill which would  ‘make provision for an Animal Sentience Committee with functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals as sentient beings’. A committee which will make a report. A bill which, it seems, was in the Queen’s Speech and has the backing of the government. Which I think usually means that it will eventually get onto the statute book.

Does all this mean that someone is going to have to start thinking about the humane dispatch of our share of the 20,000 tons – perhaps half - of octopus pulled out of European waters every year? On which, see reference 8.

Perhaps in the future, people will wonder why, at this time, our legislators gave more time and consideration to octopuses in extremis than they did to humans. But I seem to remember that there is precedent in that, in the US, child welfare grew out of animal welfare, rather than the other way around.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/04/transitive-fish-with-people.html. A test of intelligent behaviour? Of conscious behaviour?

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/02/intelligent-feeding-of-cuttlefish.html. Some of the odd things that cuttlefish can do.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/04/review.html. Some of the odd things that animals can do.

Reference 4: https://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2010/06/uyuz.html. A first post about whether fish are conscious.

Reference 5: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200102/ldselect/ldanimal/150/15004.htm. Report of the Select Committee on Animals In Scientific Procedures, 2002. Some of the same issues are raised here.

Reference 6: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/animal-welfare-sentience-bill-hl/. A handy, introductory essay.

Reference 7: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2867. The bill itself, not very long at all.

Reference 8: https://britishseafishing.co.uk/octopus-species/.