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<a href="https://jesmjones.github.io/blog.html">back to blog</a>
<p><h1>Should bugs have rights?:</h1></p>
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Invertebrates in animal welfare, and why they deserve better from us.
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<p>by Jessica Jones</p>
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Coming to grad school, I had this high dream that I could use all these new techniques to assess pain states in rodents I learned with Ishmail and colleagues–machine learning, computer vision, behavioral assays–and apply them to another model organism. I thought, <i>"Hey, I worked with mice, why not zebrafish?”</i> I did this with zebrafish, churning out a lot of cool data on fish avoidance behavior and how their avoidance of certain noxious, or bad, stimuli changes with a changing environment (in a fish sense, their tank environment). After I did this with fish, I thought to myself, <i>“Hey, I did this with fish, why not flies?”</i> Boy… what a leep that was..
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<p><h2><i>Bugs feeling pain? Nah, can’t be.</i></h2></p>
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<p>I didn’t know how absurd THAT statement was, mostly because there’s no super good evidence to support that they don’t. Nociception, the biological process of detecting and responding to harmful stimuli, is present in almost all animals, but it does not necessarily mean that animals experience pain in the same way that humans do. Pain is a response to nociception, and whether invertebrates feel this has been a debate for a LONG time.
Historically, some people have argued that pain evolved in vertebrates as a way to motivate them to avoid harmful situations. Invertebrates, on the other hand, do not have the same need to avoid predators or other dangers, so they do not need to experience pain. But we know now that pain can also serve other functions, such as for learning and memory. In actuality, there’s more evidence that they MIGHT and DO feel something analogous to pain, we just don’t know the best way to study it...
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<p><h2>My thoughts on Ed Yong’s chapter on pain</h2></p>
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<p>In his chapter on pain in An Immense World, Ed Yong explores the complex and controversial topic of animal pain. Yong discusses the different ways that animals communicate pain. Some animals, such as mice or rats or pigs or dogs, make vocalizations or facial expressions that indicate pain. </p>
<p>Other animals, such as insects, may exhibit changes in behavior, such as reduced movement or grooming/wound tending, similar to how you would brace your arm after hitting it on a countertop or on a corner. It is important to note here that not all animals “communicate” pain in the same way, and some, especially a bug, may not communicate it at all.</p>
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You might suspect that this makes studying animal pain verryyy tough (so tough I’ve decided to dedicate like 6 years to study this very thing). Through my own research I realized how complex studying this sensation, and any sensation, in a nonverbal organism was. Pain is a subjective experience, and it can be difficult to measure even in humans. I can guess you’re supe guilty of saying “fine,” when someone asks you how you feel. Maybe you could ask your cat that and they’d mrow back and that's confirmation for you to be like “They’re doin fine.” But you can’t ask a bug, “Hey how ya doin,” and get a similar response. But despite this, it's still important to continue to research animal pain so that we can better understand and protect the welfare of animals.
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<p><h2>Invertebrates in animal welfare</h2></p>
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<p>For too long, invertebrates have been excluded from animal welfare discussions. This is despite the fact that they make up the vast majority of animal species on Earth, making up over 95% of all known species (yes, that much). My advisor John would argue that you’re more likely to be covered in mites if you're between the ages of 20 and 30, because that’s just how prevalent invertebrates are I guess….
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In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to include invertebrates in animal welfare considerations. Currently, there are no laws or regulations that specifically protect the welfare of invertebrates. However, there are a number of organizations that are working to raise awareness of this issue and to develop guidelines for the ethical treatment of invertebrates.
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9264806/">A recent article in 2022</a> came out that basically said, “Hey, crabs and octopus have feelings like you and I.” The article describes the adaptation of the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) for use in invertebrates, specifically decapods and cephalopods like lobster and octopus. The AWAG is a quantitative system for assessing the cumulative lifetime experience of captive animals, and the authors of the article demonstrate that the AWAG can be used to assess the welfare of invertebrates. They provide evidence that the AWAG can be used to predict the future vulnerability of species to welfare changes, and conclude by stating that the AWAG provides a versatile method of implementing practical welfare monitoring in zoos and aquariums of invertebrate species. This is due in part to the development of new scientific methods for assessing invertebrate welfare. For example, researchers have developed tests that can measure the pain response of insects and crustaceans.
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This obviously shook a lot of people up and opened the floodgates for new research questions and methods to really nitpick invertebrate sentience in general. Red Lobster allegedly had a panic attack. The Boiling Crab is egregiously quiet.
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This article and others before and since have stated time and time again that just because an animal is not a mammal or a bird does not mean that it does not deserve to be treated with compassion. Yong would say that we have a moral obligation to consider the welfare of animals when we make decisions about how to use them. This includes considering the potential for pain that animals may experience as a result of our actions. Insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates are sentient beings who can feel pain, fear, and distress, and all sentient beings have the right to live free from pain and suffering. Invertebrates pay their taxes like you and I–they have complex social behaviors and play important roles in ecosystems, from pollinating plants to breaking down organic matter; without them, we as humans would simply pass away. Expeditiously (have you heard about the bees?).
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<p><h2>What can we do?</h2></p>
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No–I’ll never be the one to tell somebody to go vegan because I, like many of you, love bacon on my medium beef burger patty. It's your prerogative, that's your business. I will tell you, however, that there are a number of ways to improve the welfare of invertebrates in captivity. For example, zoos and aquariums can provide invertebrates with appropriate habitats, social interaction, and enrichment opportunities. Researchers can also develop new methods for reducing the pain and distress of invertebrates during scientific experiments.
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Inclusion of invertebrates in animal welfare practices is a complex issue, but it is one that is worth considering.
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Here are some specific examples of how we can improve the welfare of invertebrates: </p>
<p>1. We can choose to purchase products that are made from sustainably harvested invertebrates.</p>
<p>2. We can avoid using pesticides and herbicides that can harm invertebrates.</p>
<p>3. We can create habitats for invertebrates in our gardens and backyards.</p>
<p>4. We can educate others about the importance of invertebrate welfare.</p>
<p>Invertebrates are an important part of our world, and they deserve to be treated with respect. By including invertebrates in our animal welfare practices, we can show compassion for all living beings and help to ensure that our planet's ecosystems remain healthy and vibrant.
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