Episode Details

Meta-context

I wrote a within-cause prioritization report discussing why we should continue studying shrimp sentience and how we can actually do it. Whether you are just curious about how we actually study sentience in invertebrates or are interested in doing or funding such research, this report is for you.

I highly encourage you to read this report through its original format by clicking here. I copied its content here to make it easier to discuss and share, but the formatting is slightly off and some color coding is missing. Enjoy!

Executive summary

Context

• Shrimp are the most killed animals for food production globally: around 440 billion shrimps are farmed (Penaeid species) and 25 trillion shrimps are wild-caught (Sergestidae species) every year.
• Despite their massive numbers, shrimp welfare is poorly considered while their sentience is still a highly debated matter both in the scientific literature and among the general public.

Methodology

• The sentience framework developed by (J. Birch et al., 2021) is used as a reference.
• Multiple considerations are used to argue which criteria from the framework we should prioritize researching, such as their relative weights in the framework, time necessary to study, invasiveness [...]

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Outline:

(00:14) Meta-context

(00:47) Executive summary

(00:51) Context

(01:19) Methodology

(01:48) Key points

(02:48) Introduction

(02:51) Context

(05:17) Defining terms

(07:34) Poll results

(10:17) Preamble assumptions

(11:24) Goals

(12:39) Methodology

(12:42) Sentience Framework

(17:36) Prioritization

(17:50) Relative weights

(20:17) Time

(22:54) Inter-dependability of criteria

(24:03) Costs

(28:09) Number of animal studied and invasiveness of protocols

(29:26) Labs

(31:34) Criterion 1: Nociceptors

(31:39) Definition

(31:47) Summary

(32:02) Description

(36:03) How to study

(38:30) Protocols summary

(38:41) What we currently know

(41:06) What we would need

(43:09) Criterion 2: Integrative brain regions

(43:15) Definition

(43:25) Summary

(43:39) Description

(45:04) How to study

(46:27) Protocols summary

(46:43) What we currently know

(48:39) What we would need

(49:27) Criterion 3: Integrated nociceptors

(49:33) Definition

(49:42) Summary

(49:55) Description

(50:18) How to study

(51:26) Protocols summary

(51:51) What we currently know

(53:18) What we would need

(54:22) Criterion 4: Behavior modulation

(54:28) Definition

(55:09) Summary

(55:26) Description

(58:19) How to study

(59:47) Protocols summary

(01:00:03) What we currently know

(01:02:47) What we would need

(01:05:03) Criterion 5: Motivational trade-offs

(01:05:09) Definition

(01:05:32) Summary

(01:05:47) Description

(01:06:50) How to study

(01:08:44) Protocols summary

(01:08:53) What we currently know

(01:10:01) What we would need

(01:11:54) Criterion 6: Flexible self-protection

(01:12:00) Definition

(01:12:15) Summary

(01:12:31) Description

(01:14:09) How to study

(01:15:03) Protocols summary

(01:15:18) What we currently know

(01:16:44) What we would need

(01:17:43) Criterion 7: Associative learning

(01:17:49) Definition

(01:18:09) Summary

(01:18:25) Description

(01:20:03) How to study

(01:23:16) Protocols summary

(01:23:22) What we currently know

(01:24:58) What we would need

(01:26:33) Criterion 8: Pain-relief seeking

(01:26:38) Definition

(01:27:07) Summary