The big idea: should animals have the same rights as humans?
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Debates about the human-like attributes of animals miss the point. Can we respect them regardless?
By Phillip Ball
The government has finally caught up with what most animal behavioural scientists have been saying for years by formally recognising animals as sentient beings in its Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. In November 2022 it was confirmed that the scope of the bill would be extended to include in the ‘sentient’ category all decapod crustaceans (such as crabs and lobsters) and cephalopods (including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish). This ruling heeds a review led by Jonathan Birch of the London School of Economics, who points out: ‘Octopuses and other cephalopods have been protected in science for years, but have not received any protection outside science until now.’
Although these rulings are welcome, their tardiness is sobering. People have been arguing fiercely, dogmatically and even violently about animal welfare for a very long time – yet framing the issue in terms of ...
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