by PCRM
Cephalopods are marine invertebrates including squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. They are highly intelligent animals with complex nervous systems rivaling those of some mammals. These delicate animals experience pain and distress and require specialized care and handling to maintain their well-being in a captive setting.
Even with all that we know about these amazing animals, because they are invertebrates, cephalopods are excluded from the bare minimum federal regulations for animals used in research. Shockingly, they aren’t even considered “animals” under U.S. research policy, and researchers can experiment on them with no accountability for the pain or distress they cause. Despite the lack of these baseline standards of care, cephalopod use in research is increasing.
We need your help. Please write to your representative today to tell them that federal research policies must require oversight for cephalopods.
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