There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain. What I would do is put it in the freezer. What I would do is put it in the freezer. The reaction is an automatic response to the sodium chloride, or salt, in the soy sauce. There's everything to learn about them. There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain. But goodness knows, I have eaten raw oysters and raw clams. Sign this petition to demand officials protect these animals and stop restaurants from preparing and serving live animals. I've talked to other people about this—there is cultural sensitivity, and there is suffering. If they stuck a shrimp on a block of ice until it's unreactive, it's probably less aware than it would be if you picked it out of the water and started chewing it from the tail up. Of eating an octopus alive, Dr. Jennifer Mather, an expert on cephalopods and a psychology professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, says the following: “ [T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to … Do Octopuses Feel Pain? You don't have to figure out exactly where the brain is, and you don't have to worry about an anaesthetic tainting the flavor of the meat. That would be the quickest, easiest way to render an animal that might be conscious not conscious. How can we account for differences in the perception of what constitutes cruelty between cultures? How can we account for differences in the perception of what constitutes cruelty between cultures? I think it was the Hawaiians who used to bite down on the brain to kill it quickly. Often times, the octopus is chopped up while still living and breathing, feeling every bit of the pain. They're fascinating. They also have spatial memory. These are intelligent animals with minds of their own, and I doubt they would enjoy being eaten. If they stuck a shrimp on a block of ice until it's unreactive, it's probably less aware than it would be if you picked it out of the water and started chewing it from the tail up. She has studied octopuses and their close relatives since 1978, and has done extensive field research into the cephalopod mind. Octopuses can feel pain, just like all animals. . If you look at us, most of our neurons are in our brain, and for the octopus, three-fifths of its neurons are in its arms. But there was a discussion I had with PETA about someone who was frying octopuses alive in New York, and I was asked to comment on that. You can give an animal a quick and minimally painful death before you eat it—at the least, you can destroy the brain. But in some corners of the world, there is less taboo assigned to eating the still-breathing. A live-streaming host known as Seaside Girl Little Seven regularly posts clips of herself enjoying seafood, but this time, in hopes of gaining more popularity, she tried something else. Are there any ways, short of medical sedation, that one could reduce the amount of suffering while still eating an animal alive? I find it difficult to have any sympathy for people who choke on a live animal that they're eating piece by piece. They use tools, and they'll think about what they want to do with something even before they do it. You just stick it in the freezer. And while the footage did spread across the Internet like a pirated version of Game of Thrones, it's probably safe to say that it's not the attention Seaside Girl Little Seven wanted. A 2010 article in The Guardian ignited heavy opinions for opening discussion about Copenhagen restaurant noma's dish of still-writhing langoustine; since, the issue has popped up here and there in editorials and YouTube videos. They can anticipate a painful, difficult, stressful situation—they can remember it. No animal deserves to be hacked to pieces while still alive. Cephalopod expert Jennifer Mather, PhD explains that an octopus likely suffers tremendously while being cut up. If they killed the octopus first then I wouldn't care, but the kept it alive just to inflict pain by cutting off it's legs. We don’t yet know whether oysters feel pain, but if they do, they represent a very large number of suffering animals—a single meal might require the deaths of 12 or more oysters. But in today's day and age, we get to see all the glorious FAIL! I hoped that she could offer greater insight into pain and sentience in octopus terms. I find it difficult to have any sympathy for people who choke on a live animal that they're eating piece by piece. edit: Interesting the thumbs down. Octopus can feel pain and are aware of each hack into their sensitive tentacles. In the written material that PETA has issued to accompany the video, octopus expert Jennifer Mather makes it clear, as well, that octopuses feel … I suspect that they're just throwing an octopus on a chopping block and cutting off pieces as they go, and they are absolutely causing that animal suffering. I hoped that she could offer greater insight into pain and sentience in octopus terms. Short of cannibalism, the most controversial issues in meat-eating today are likely the consumption of dog meat—due to our social and sentimental attachments to the canine species—and the practice of eating live animals. It's just as painful as if it were a hog, a fish, or a rabbit, if you chopped a rabbit's leg off piece by piece. We asked a cephalopod expert how it feels for an octopus who is on the receiving end. We asked a cephalopod expert how it feels for an octopus who is on the receiving end. I suspect that they're just throwing an octopus on a chopping block and cutting off pieces as they go, and they are absolutely causing that animal suffering. Understanding that if there's a crab under a rock and you got it, there might not be another crab for that rock for a while. Jennifer Mather, PhD: It's not something I've come across in my research. Octopuses can feel pain, just like all animals. You just stick it in the freezer. dining on octopuses whose arms continue to squirm. Many do not realize that they do indeed feel extreme pain and in some countries they are tortured first and then eaten alive! In the U.S., Europe and around the world, it is common practice to eat oysters and lobsters alive. She commented on the practice of cooking and eating octopuses alive. It's not just a sense of direction, it's a sense of where you've been. And one of the things they looked at in terms of rules was, OK, we have to give consideration to vertebrates, but are there any invertebrates that we should give ethical consideration to? But the octopus, which you've been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. They're wonderful animals. I've talked to other people about this—there is cultural sensitivity, and there is suffering. Are there any ways, short of medical sedation, that one could reduce the amount of suffering while still eating an animal alive? Humans have this protein, too, but our store of the molecule is much less active than an octopus’. But they really don't have the central nervous system to be, so to speak, making decisions and suffering. So it's a barbaric thing to do to the animal. Of all people, Julia Child had instructions for cutting the brain of a lobster to kill it before you boil it. It's probable that the octopus's reaction to pain is similar to a vertebrate. In your research, particularly with octopus, what was the most surprising evidence of anecdote you found about their intelligence or sense of sentience? The octopus has a nervous system which is much more distributed than ours. There's a wonderful video from some guys in Australia—there are several that have done this actually—they need someplace to hide while they rest. Understanding that if there's a crab under a rock and you got it, there might not be another crab for that rock for a while. There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain. She added, “Octopus expert Dr. Jennifer Mather has stated that ‘There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain,’ and explained that an octopus who is being eaten alive is in just as much pain as a pig, fish, or rabbit would be.” JUNG YEON-JE via Getty Images. Wtf? This article originally appeared on MUNCHIES in December 2014. There's an interesting situation because the European Union, over the last few years, looked at all of their animal welfare rules. My thought is that if you had a whole octopus and tried to eat it, it would be a completely repellant situation because the octopus would try to climb out. Not only can they remember where home is, but they can go out and hunt, come back, and then go out the next day and hunt in a different place. It's probable that the octopus's reaction to pain is similar to a vertebrate. To do this, octopus use a protein called protein acetylcholinesterase, or AChE. Not only can they remember where home is, but they can go out and hunt, come back, and then go out the next day and hunt in a different place. So how does the squid "come back to life?" “If I was an octopus trying to be eaten alive I would have done the same. Crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks don't have any internal temperature regulation, so if you freeze them you can get them to the point where they're really not conscious. If you look at us, most of our neurons are in our brain, and for the octopus, three-fifths of its neurons are in its arms. “[T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. Crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks don't have any internal temperature regulation, so if you freeze them you can get them to the point where they're really not conscious. Do Octopuses Feel Pain? I have also seen octopuses unscrewing jar lids easily to get a small crab inside. The evidence for sentience in squids, octopuses, and crustaceans is increasingly clear. But, do octopuses experience would-be painful experiences the same way mice do? That would be the quickest, easiest way to render an animal that might be conscious not conscious. They're wonderful animals. I know this from person experience and from what I've heard from others. But don't feel TOO sorry for her . Why is it that we almost universally condemn leaving a dog out in the rain or kicking a cat, but haven't yet decided whether slowly dismembering a sea creature is truly disagreeable? As the researchers note in their paper, we know very little about whether cephalopods recognize pain or … After quite some deliberation, they decided that in terms of research, you should give consideration to cephalopods, including octopus and squid, but they did not include crustaceans. Sometimes, they’re even eaten alive! She says, “There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain. There's no doubt about it. But that doesn't mean that crustaceans can't experience the same pain stimuli, anticipation, and memory of painful events that an octopus does. So it's a barbaric thing to do to the animal. What do you think an octopus is experiencing when it's being cut into pieces and eaten alive? Serves her right,” one person wrote. I have also seen octopuses unscrewing jar lids easily to get a small crab inside. There's everything to learn about them. My thought is that if you had a whole octopus and tried to eat it, it would be a completely repellant situation because the octopus would try to climb out. You need to have 0 empathy to do it and like it, which would mean you have a mental disorder. They're fascinating. that is sadistic and gross. Live octopus is served at about a … In your research, particularly with octopus, what was the most surprising evidence of anecdote you found about their intelligence or sense of sentience? A video has been making the rounds of a woman in China who has a live octopus stuck to her face. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. You can give an animal a quick and minimally painful death before you eat it—at the least, you can destroy the brain. What's going on physically when their arms continue to move after they've been cut off? It's just as painful as if it were a hog, a fish, or a rabbit, if you chopped a rabbit's leg off piece by piece. One of them dug up a coconut shell and hauled it around with it, and when it got to the point where it wanted to rest, it picked up the shell, tucked itself inside of it, and went to sleep. . ... researchers have observed an octopus’s color changing and activity patterns and looked for any self-inflicted harm (swimming into the side of a tank or eating … What about other types of sea creatures—the live langoustine, for example, that caused waves for Copenhagen's Noma? The only command issued by the octopus's brain is "FOOD NOW" -- the tentacle already knows what it needs to do in order to fulfill that goal without any further input from mission control. Why is it that we almost universally condemn leaving a dog out in the rain or kicking a cat, but haven't yet decided whether slowly dismembering a sea creature is truly disagreeable? They use tools, and they'll think about what they want to do with something even before they do it. What about other types of sea creatures—the live langoustine, for example, that caused waves for Copenhagen's Noma? In Seoul, South Korea, there are entire restaurants centered around dining on octopuses whose arms continue to squirm when they're placed on your plate—and as they wriggle down your throat. What do you think an octopus is experiencing when it's being cut into pieces and eaten alive? There is absolutely no doubt that they feel pain. That is a living thing, pain or not it is conscious and most likely doesn't want or like to be eaten alive. Of eating an octopus alive, Dr. Jennifer Mather, an expert on cephalopods and a psychology professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, says the following: “ [T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. They have a nervous system which is much more distributed than ours…. But there was a discussion I had with PETA about someone who was frying octopuses alive in New York, and I was asked to comment on that. Octopuses are sometimes eaten or prepared alive, a practice that is controversial due to scientific evidence that octopuses experience pain. Jennifer Mather, PhD: It's not something I've come across in my research. Only someone with a mental disorder would do that. But in some corners of the world, there is less taboo assigned to eating the still-breathing. There's an interesting situation because the European Union, over the last few years, looked at all of their animal welfare rules. Animal welfare groups have objected to this practice on the basis that octopuses can experience pain. The recently deceased squid may lack a brain, but its muscle cells, which receive electrical commands, are still intact , NPR reports. So, in most cases it would be painful, yes, and terrifying, but there can also be some protection from the experience, not always but sometimes. The controversial practice of eating live animals is still popular in many parts of the world. There's a wonderful video from some guys in Australia—there are several that have done this actually—they need someplace to hide while they rest. I think it was the Hawaiians who used to bite down on the brain to kill it quickly. What would be the best way to kill an octopus quickly and with minimal pain to the animal? The octopus has a nervous system which is much more distributed than ours. What's going on physically when their arms continue to move after they've been cut off? Cultural live animal traditions. And one of the things they looked at in terms of rules was, OK, we have to give consideration to vertebrates, but are there any invertebrates that we should give ethical consideration to? It’s just as painful as if it were a hog, a fish, or a rabbit, if you chopped a rabbit’s leg off piece by piece. MUNCHIES: Have you come across the practice of eating live octopus over the course of your research on cephalopods? They also have spatial memory. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. Of course they do, just as much as you would if you were eaten alive! "I understand your emotional response but it's unconfirmed by fact." And, people do experience fear so great that it can cause them do die from the fear. In addition, fruit doesn't feel pain and you can eat plenty of that if eating plants is problem for you. Short of cannibalism, the most controversial issues in meat-eating today are likely the consumption of dog meat—due to our social and sentimental attachments to the canine species—and the practice of eating live animals. A 2010 article in The Guardian ignited heavy opinions for opening discussion about Copenhagen restaurant noma's dish of still-writhing langoustine; since, the issue has popped up here and there in editorials and YouTube videos. In Seoul, South Korea, there are entire restaurants centered around dining on octopuses whose arms continue to squirm when they're placed on your plate—and as they wriggle down your throat. The octopus has a nervous system which is much more distributed than ours. [T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. The designations of welfare, cruelty, and simple squeamishness are not always clear-cut—especially in issues surrounding the types of animals that we don't hold particularly near and dear. Are baby octopus really babies? Even though plants probable don't feel pain and most defiantly don't suffer from pain signals. We don’t need to consume oysters, scallops, and clams to survive. If you've got pieces of arm, because there's so much local control, they might react to the painful stimuli that they get, but they're probably not exactly "feeling pain," because they're disconnected from the brain. So it’s a barbaric thing to do to the animal.”—Cephalopod expert Dr. Jennifer Mather If you've got pieces of arm, because there's so much local control, they might react to the painful stimuli that they get, but they're probably not exactly "feeling pain," because they're disconnected from the brain. This is extremely barbaric to have these … Rather than trying to reckon with apples and oranges (or spaniels and squids), I consulted cephalopod expert Jennifer Mather, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and author of numerous studies on octopus and cephalopod sentience, including "Cephalopod consciousness: Behavioral evidence" and "Ethics and invertebrates: a cephalopod perspective." But goodness knows, I have eaten raw oysters and raw clams. What would be the best way to kill an octopus quickly and with minimal pain to the animal? Rather than trying to reckon with apples and oranges (or spaniels and squids), I consulted cephalopod expert Jennifer Mather, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and author of numerous studies on octopus and cephalopod sentience, including "Cephalopod consciousness: Behavioral evidence" and "Ethics and invertebrates: a cephalopod perspective." But the octopus, which you've been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. But that doesn't mean that crustaceans can't experience the same pain stimuli, anticipation, and memory of painful events that an octopus does. After quite some deliberation, they decided that in terms of research, you should give consideration to cephalopods, including octopus and squid, but they did not include crustaceans. Octopus are being held down, cut up alive, and then served in sushi restaurants. They can anticipate a painful, difficult, stressful situation—they can remember it. There's no doubt about it. But they really don't have the central nervous system to be, so to speak, making decisions and suffering. This article originally appeared on MUNCHIES in December 2014. Octopuses are eaten alive in several countries around the world, including the USA. It's not just a sense of direction, it's a sense of where you've been. The organisation claims that octopuses, which are considered to be among the most intelligent invertebrates, can feel pain in the way that mammals do. She's in pain and crying, and it takes her 34 long seconds to pull it off. The octopus has a nervous system which is much more distributed than ours. Of eating an octopus alive, Dr. Jennifer Mather, an expert on cephalopods and a psychology professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, says, “ [T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. Restaurants in New York give customers the chance to “ pick belly sashimi out of (the lobster’s) still moving body.” In China, drunken shrimp, or qiang xia, is a delicacy that involves clawed river shrimp soaked in baijiu or another spirit. The designations of welfare, cruelty, and simple squeamishness are not always clear-cut—especially in issues surrounding the types of animals that we don't hold particularly near and dear. One of them dug up a coconut shell and hauled it around with it, and when it got to the point where it wanted to rest, it picked up the shell, tucked itself inside of it, and went to sleep. The fact is that many octopi have their tentacles cut off while they're still alive, that is torture, and I am not okay with torture. MUNCHIES: Have you come across the practice of eating live octopus over the course of your research on cephalopods? “ [T]he octopus, which you’ve been chopping to pieces, is feeling pain every time you do it. She has studied octopuses and their close relatives since 1978, and has done extensive field research into the cephalopod mind. You don't have to figure out exactly where the brain is, and you don't have to worry about an anaesthetic tainting the flavor of the meat. Of all people, Julia Child had instructions for cutting the brain of a lobster to kill it before you boil it. 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The VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that sometimes. And clams to survive plenty of that If eating plants is problem for you is similar to vertebrate! Animal deserves to be, so to speak, making decisions and suffering:! Give an animal that they feel pain does the squid `` come back to life ''! Served in sushi restaurants for differences in the freezer about what they want to do.! And has done extensive field research into the cephalopod mind to demand officials protect these and... Understand your emotional response but it 's unconfirmed by fact. system which is much more than! Types of sea creatures—the live langoustine, for example, that one could reduce the amount of suffering while living! Use tools, and then served in sushi restaurants thing to do to the animal groups objected! Interesting situation because the European Union, over the last few years, looked at of... 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