CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Introduction: Even though only a few species are considered to be dangerous, pests or vectors, the majorityof invertebrates produce a feeling of aversion in humans. This has contributed to the delay in the developmentof ethical considerations as regards this group in contrast with vertebrates, with the exception of cephalopods.Objective: In the present study, we provide an overview of the current situation on animal ethics and welfare inorder to contribute to the development of a framework for ensuring invertebrate welfare.Methods: Today, animal welfare is multidisciplinary in nature to a very high degree as it includes ethology,physiology, pathology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, nutrition, cognitive-neural, veterinary medicine, andethics. Animal welfare is a complex concept, difficult to achieve successfully from one perspective.Results: As a consequence, we propose to include the five domains (nutrition, environment, health, behaviourand mental state) along with the three conceptions (basic health and functioning, affective state and naturalliving), as well as the 5R Principle (Replace, Reduction, Refinement, Respect and Responsibility) in seeking toachieve a comprehensive welfare state.Conclusions: We consider that in both research and animal production, the individual and collective ethicalconcerns coexist and, in fact, the main moral concern to account for is the collective one and that, within thatcollective view, the individual moral concern should be applied with responsibility and respect for the individual.Finally, we propose a practical example of invertebrate welfare production in sea urchin aquaculture with the aimof including animal production of invertebrates in this important discussion.

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