Report Cruelty Donate

Our role

The state and territory member Societies provide services to animals in need through their shelters and inspectorates. In the national office, RSPCA Australia works to influence animal welfare policy, practice and legislation across the country
Go to Our role

Animal welfare science

Caring for animals

Farm animal welfare

Public education

Advocacy

Enforcing the law

Key issues

The RSPCA advocates for the welfare of animals across a number of industries, issues and platforms. Help from our supporters is important to progress change. Working together is key.
Go to Key issues

Farm animals

Sport, entertainment & work animals

better than live export hero banner
Priority issue
On 1 July 2024, the Federal Government…
Live sheep export

News

Here you'll find the latest news relating to the RSPCA's vital work, press releases on national events, education on animal welfare issues, animal welfare science updates and our very own podcast covering a range of current topics.
Go to News

Blog

Media centre

Podcast

take action live sheep export alternate
Media release: Live sheep export unfixable, unnecessary, unacceptable – and now, soon to be unlawful
Read the media release

Support us

Whether you're an individual or a business, there are multiple ways you can support the RSPCA
Go to Support us

For individuals

For businesses

National events

An animal in the RSPCA care being cared for by an RSPCA vet
Donate now to support your local RSPCA and make a difference to animal welfare across Australia
Donate

Learn

The RSPCA aims to make evidence-based research accessible to the community, so that they can have confidence in the choices made when it comes to animal welfare.
Go to Learn

Knowledgebase Offsite

Animal Welfare Seminar

Animal Welfare Science Update

Education resources

Cage free and proud

Choose Wisely

Responsible sourcing

Key information

Domesticated animals

Non-domesticated animals

Aquatic animals

RSPCA Approved Standards

AWS2025 Website Image 2000x2000 v2
RSPCA Animal Welfare Seminar 2025
Animal ethics and animal welfare…
Learn more

About

The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.
Go to About

Annual reports

Annual statistics

Board & governance

Scholarships

Join our team

Our history

Contact

about us national statistics
Read our National Statistics
Compiled on a national basis by RSPCA…
Annual statistics

Adopt

By choosing adoption, you’ll not only have the chance to make a friend for life, but you’ll be giving an animal a second chance and helping support the RSPCA.
Go to Adopt

Adopting a dog or puppy

Adopting a cat or kitten

Adopting other animals

Responsible pet ownership

adopt a pet logo
Visit the Adopt A Pet website
Make a difference to a pet’s life today.
Search Adoptapet
Contact Us
RSPCA Approved Farming
Report Cruelty Donate
Report Cruelty Donate
Subscribe now! Keep up to date with the latest animal welfare news
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Blog
  4. Important things to know about…
Blog

Important things to know about cephalopods

Generic Avatar
  • RSPCA Australia
  • Thursday, 8 June 2023
Subscribe to our blog

Happy World Oceans Day! Created to foster public interest in the protection of the ocean, the day is an important reminder to consider the vast array of life forms that call this precious natural resource home. Here at the RSPCA, you’ve heard us speak a lot about fish welfare, but did you know that cephalopods – the scientific term given to invertebrate sea creatures like squid and octopi – have some similar characteristics as fish including sentience and aversion to pain? And yet, they’re not always given the same legal protection for welfare as other animals. Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures and what you can do to help.

Cephalopod – what’s in a name?

Cephalopods are a group of invertebrate animals that includes octopi, squid, cuttlefish, and nautili. They’re characterised by their prominent heads, tentacles, and of course, absence of a backbone! They do however possess a complex nervous system and well documented intelligence, with octopi demonstrating examples of advanced cognitive abilities in spatial learning capacity, navigation, reasoning, and problem solving.

Welfare protection is not always guaranteed.

Despite an abundance of evidence of their ability to suffer, their protection is not included under animal welfare legislation in the majority of Australian states.

This is due to most state legislation relying on the definition of ‘animal’ as vertebrate, with our animal welfare laws not evolving with advances in scientific knowledge. Currently, only the ACT, Queensland, and Victoria include cephalopods within the definition of ‘animal’ in certain circumstances. However, for Victoria, protection only relates to the use of cephalopods in research and does not cover commercial fishing.

The ACT and Queensland legislations provide better protection for the retail and commercial use of cephalopods, with obligations for retailers to provide appropriate food, water, and shelter, along with careful transportation with adequate space. For all other states and territories, no such requirements exist, and how cephalopods are treated during and following capture is at the discretion of those involved in the supply chain.

What you can do to support cephalopod welfare.

The RSPCA recognises cephalopods as sentient beings and their capacity to experience pain and suffering, and believes there should be uniform protection across Australia.

Until cephalopods are properly protected under all relevant state and territory animal welfare legislation, consumers can play an important role in raising the bar for better practices within the commercial fishing industry. If you choose to purchase octopi or squid products, ask the retailer about their animal welfare policy (if they have one) and take a look into their supply chain. Key information to look for can be the country of origin (always opt for Australian where possible), the catching method used, if the product is certified by a reputable third-party certification, and the stunning/slaughter method for the cephalopod.

Our responsible sourcing guides are a handy aid to help with gathering this information. By taking the time to be a conscious consumer when opting for seafood products, you are telling the fishing industry and the government that Australians care about marine animal welfare and want to purchase responsibly.

 

Interested in reading more?

https://rspcaapproved.org.au/news/buying-lobster-what-you-need-to-know/

 

 

subscribe box

Stay informed on big issues and how you can help improve animal welfare across Australia.

Subscribe today and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest campaigns, events and news.

We care about your data in our privacy policy.