Should Scientific Research Involving Decapod Crustaceans Require Ethical Review?

Decapod crustaceans are faceless animals with five pairs of legs, an external skeleton and multiple nerve centres (ganglia) rather than a single brain (as in vertebrates). They include common seafood species such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp. These characteristics make them diffic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of agricultural & environmental ethics 2018-10, Vol.31 (5), p.625-634
Main Author: Rowe, Anthony
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural Economics
Anatomy
Animal care
Animal rights movement
Animal welfare
Animals
Brain
Brain architecture
Crabs
Crayfish
Crustacea
Crustaceans
Decapoda
Education
Environmental ethics
Ethics
Evolutionary Biology
Ganglia
Literature reviews
Lobsters
Pain
Pharmacology
Philosophy
Plant Sciences
Prawns
Public awareness
Research methodology
Review Paper
Scientific method
Seafood
Theory of Medicine/Bioethics
Vertebrates
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Decapod crustaceans are faceless animals with five pairs of legs, an external skeleton and multiple nerve centres (ganglia) rather than a single brain (as in vertebrates). They include common seafood species such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp. These characteristics make them difficult to empathise with and consequently legal protection of decapods ranges from strong (Norway and New Zealand), through circumstantial (Australia and Italy) to non-existent (in many other countries). Whether they are capable of experiencing pain depends on definitions and the requirement for absolute proof of an inherently subjective psychological experience. Yet like other animals, decapods fulfil neuroanatomical, pharmacological and behavioural criteria that are consistent with a pain response. Whether they experience stress, harm and distress is less controversial because these conditions are more measurable than the pain response. To balance animal welfare concerns with scientific merit whilst providing confidence for the growing public awareness of crustacean welfare, use of decapod crustaceans in research should require ethical review.
ISSN:1187-7863
1573-322X
DOI:10.1007/s10806-018-9750-7