Scientific understanding of animal sentience has advanced significantly in recent decades, with evidence accumulating that many more species experience pain, emotion, and subjective states than previously recognized.
Growing evidence of widespread sentience among animals has profound implications for how we treat them across all contexts. The precautionary principle suggests that when evidence of sentience exists, we should afford animals appropriate protections even before certainty is established. This applies particularly to invertebrates and fish, which are currently excluded from protection in many jurisdictions despite evidence of pain-like experience. Policy frameworks need to evolve continuously with scientific understanding.