A groundbreaking declaration by top scientists suggests that a far greater number of animals than previously thought are likely conscious, including fish, lobsters, and octopuses. This new paradigm shift in animal consciousness has significant implications for how we treat and care for animals.
Recent discoveries have revealed that various species, including insects, fish, and crustaceans, exhibit evidence of conscious thought and experience
Recent discoveries have revealed that various species, including insects, fish, and crustaceans, exhibit evidence of conscious thought and experience. For instance, bees have been observed playing with wooden balls, cleaner wrasse fish appear to recognize themselves in mirrors, and octopuses react to anesthetic drugs and avoid settings where they may have experienced pain in the past.
In response to these findings, a group of nearly 40 researchers has published “The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness,” which aims to transform how scientists and society view and care for animals. The declaration asserts that there is “strong scientific support” for conscious experience in birds and mammals and a “realistic possibility” of consciousness in all vertebrates, including reptiles, amphibians, and fish. This possibility also extends to many creatures without backbones, such as insects, decapod crustaceans (including crabs and lobsters), and cephalopod mollusks (like squid, octopus, and cuttlefish).
The declaration emphasizes that when there is a realistic possibility of conscious experience in an animal, it is irresponsible to ignore that possibility in decisions affecting that animal. Instead, we should consider welfare risks and use evidence to inform our responses to these risks.
Jonathan Birch, a professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and a principal investigator on the Foundations of Animal Sentience project, is among the declaration’s signatories. He notes that the study of animal minds has made significant progress in the last decade, with researchers now daring to explore the possibility that animals like bees, octopuses, and cuttlefish may have some form of conscious experience.
Historically, scientists have assumed that questions about animal consciousness were unanswerable. However, this new declaration marks a shift in that direction, rejecting the view that we have no scientific way to study these questions.
The concept of animal sentience or consciousness generally refers to an animal’s ability to have subjective experiences, sense and map the outside world, and possess feelings like joy or pain. In some cases, it can also mean that animals possess a level of self-awareness.
Recent findings have led scientists to reconsider their understanding of animal cognition. For example, the mirror-mark test, which assesses self-recognition, has been used on a wider range of species with surprising results. Cleaner wrasse fish, for instance, have demonstrated self-recognition, and zebrafish have shown signs of curiosity when introduced to new objects. Cuttlefish have also been found to remember things they saw or smelled, and crayfish have been observed to experience stress and anxiety.
As more species exhibit these signs of consciousness, researchers may need to reframe their line of inquiry altogether, asking not which animals are sentient but which animals aren’t. This shift in understanding could have significant implications for U.S. law, which does not classify animals as sentient on a federal level. Instead, laws focus primarily on conservation, agriculture, or the treatment of animals by zoos, research laboratories, and pet retailers.
However, state laws vary widely, and some, like Oregon, have recognized animals as sentient and capable of feeling pain, stress, and fear. Other states, such as Washington and California, are considering bans on octopus farming, a species for which scientists have found strong evidence of sentience.
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In conclusion, the new declaration on animal consciousness marks a pivotal moment in the study of animal cognition, challenging traditional views and prompting a reevaluation of how we treat and care for animals. As scientists continue to explore the complexities of animal consciousness, we may need to reconsider our assumptions and work towards a more compassionate and inclusive understanding of the natural world.
