Feeder Insects: The Ethics of Live Feeding in Zoos and Aquariums

Abstract

While there is no consensus about whether insects are sentient, the possibility alone raises an important question for zoos and aquariums. What ethical responsibilities, if any, do zoos and aquariums have concerning their feeder insects? There has been very little scholarly discussion of these questions. This is not surprising, as scholars have largely ignored feeder animals. So, this paper takes up two tasks. First, it surveys the main welfare-focused ethical questions associated with feeder animals generally and feeder insects in particular. The aim here is to identify the main considerations that bear on a full assessment of the ethics of using feeder animals as a resource, thereby facilitating future research. Second, in the interest of making practical recommendations in the face of significant moral complexity and uncertainty, this paper adopts a standard institutional ethical framework—the 3Rs—and considers its implications for the use of feeder insects.