The UK has recognised decapods and cephalopods as 'sentient beings,' with animal rights advocates saying Australia should follow suit.
The UK bill already stipulated that all vertebrates – animals with spines – are sentient beings. But last month, the UK government announced the bill would be amended to also include decapods and cephalopods.
The LSE report used a framework of eight different factors to determine sentience, including the existence of nociceptors , and if the animals responded to pain relief medication.Researchers found there was "very strong evidence" for sentience among octopuses in particular.found that if octopuses were given the party drug ecstasy, they were increasingly sociable with one another.
"So all the practices in relation to octopuses and so forth, that have occurred in the past or that are currently being used, are not subject to question." The ACT reforms created broad protections for animals and also specific prohibitions on particular acts that cause cruelty to animals. "If an animal has been shown to be sentient based on the relevant science … then we need to ensure that legislation gives those animals protections," she says.
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