Mussel aquaculture raises questions about invertebrate welfare that are increasingly relevant as our understanding of bivalve sensory capacity evolves.
Mussel welfare occupies an uncertain position in animal welfare thinking. Unlike fish or crustaceans, where evidence for pain experience is substantial and growing, the case for bivalve sentience rests on more limited evidence. Mussels have nociceptors and respond behaviorally to noxious stimuli, but lack the neural architecture associated with conscious pain experience in vertebrates. Most animal welfare scientists place bivalves at low priority for welfare concern relative to other farmed animals. This uncertainty, combined with the clear environmental benefits of mussel farming, leads many welfare-conscious consumers to conclude that farmed mussels represent an acceptable protein choice. Continued research into bivalve neurophysiology is warranted given the billions farmed annually.