Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said: Instead, it is designed to ensure animal welfare is well considered in future decision-making.

There will be no direct impact on the shellfish catching or restaurant industry. Today’s announcement will not affect any existing legislation or industry practices such as fishing. However, unlike some other invertebrates (animals without a backbone ), decapod crustaceans and cephalopods have complex central nervous systems, one of the key hallmarks of sentience. The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill already recognises all animals with a backbone (vertebrates) as sentient beings. The move follows the findings of a government-commissioned independent review by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) which concluded there is strong scientific evidence decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs are sentient. The scope of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has today been extended to recognise lobsters, octopus and crabs and all other decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs as sentient beings. Existing industry practices will not be affected and there will be no direct impact on shellfish catching or in restaurant kitchens.Amendment to Bill follows London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) scientific research findings on decapod and cephalopod sentience.Decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs will be recognised under the scope of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill.Crabs, octopus and lobsters to be recognised as sentient beings in government policy decision making.Lobsters, octopus and crabs recognised as sentient beingsĪmendment to Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill following LSE report on decapod and cephalopod sentience

Cephalopod sentience