Fish brains and behaviour indicate capacity for feeling pain

Abstract

Studies of behaviour are of major importance in understanding human pain and pain in other animals such as fish. Almost all of the characteristics of the mammalian pain system are also described for fish. Emotions, feelings and learning from these are controlled in the fish brain in areas anatomically different but functionally very similar to those in mammals. The evidence of pain and fear system function in fish is so similar to that in humans and other mammals that it is logical to conclude that fish feel fear and pain. Fish are sentient beings. Donald M. Broom dmb16@cam.ac.uk, Emeritus Professor of Animal Welfare, Cambridge University, has developed concepts and methods of scientific assessment of animal welfare.