How should we recognize and treat animals?!

In England, the government will be banned to boil lobsters while they are alive for improving animal welfare in England. They are proposing that they must be endure the pain for several minutes when we recognize farm animals as having the same moral status as other animals, and electrical guns or chilling them in cold air can be used as alternatives. These kinds of laws have already been accepted in Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand. The government will strengthen this law and apply it for other animals like octopuses as well. On the other hand, some people argue that this law can be authoritarian control theory and limit the freedom of the citizens. Moreover, the cost of introducing new ways will place a significant burden on fishing industry and seafood sector. 

About this problem, I don’t agree with the policy because the definition of which animal can be treated as the animals having strong will or not. I understand they think but Animals can’t speak and some people speak for them, but it can be said that it is common for plants. I understand their opinion and why this kind of law was conducted, but it is almost impossible to kill animals without pain even if we use the suggested methods. I know this is one of the examples of animal protection, but we have to think about legislating those laws and rethink that the ideas of current animal protection are relatively new and not expanded, it means not all of people understand and agree with this way of thinking.

Courea, E. (2025, December 23). Boiling lobsters alive to be banned in England amid animal cruelty crackdown. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/22/boiling-lobsters-alive-banned-animal-cruelty-crackdown  

David, R. (2025, December 23). Farage slams UK’s live lobster boil ban: ‘Control freakery’ in new cruelty crackdown. International Business Times UK. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/farage-slams-uks-live-lobster-boil-ban-control-freakery-new-cruelty-crackdown-1765144  

The interesting law in the world

 In the world, there are many kinds of laws related to animal because of their religion, welfare, ethics and the protection of ecosystems and environment. This time, I am going to introduce some laws I found.

In India, it is prohibited to kill cows and sell beef except some states. It is because Hindus recognize cow as sacred animals, and they think people should not kill them. This kinds of law exists in Nepal and poke can not be treated in Islamic states. Also, there are some countries protecting animals excessively. In Switzerland, it is banned to have a guinea pig and a parakeet as a pet. It is said that they are social animals, so having one means isolation from their society and recognize as abuse. Moreover, the constitution defines animals are lifely existence and prohibit to give painful discipline for them. As a concrete example, it is illegal to cut dogs’ tails and ears.

↑my dog 

I thought those things were defined as their religion but I found those rules were established as official laws. Though I can’t understand why they believe those things, it is also the fact that there are many believers in the world and those law are kinds of their protection to keep following their beliefs. I also surprises at the law in German because I have a German dog, which their official name is Miniature Pinscher, and her ears and tail were cut. I had heard that they are cut their ears and tails because they were working as rat catchers and needed to do that. Learning those things I mentioned before, I feel Japan is unfamiliar with animal protections and so on, of course it is not illegal or unethical.

Pork in Pakistan. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 18, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_in_Pakistan

Cattle slaughter in India. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 18, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_slaughter_in_India

Poole, J. (2025, July 2). Swiss government mandates transparency for animal suffering in animal product labeling. Food Ingredients First. Retrieved from https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/switzerland-animal-welfare-labeling-law-food

Docking ban. (n.d.). Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. Retrieved December 18, 2025, from https://www.tierschutzbund.de/en/animals-topics/pets/dogs/docking-ban

ジェトロ. (2025, October 27). ディスカウントスーパー大手アルディ、最低基準の畜産飼育ラベル製品の販売を中止へ. Retrieved from https://www.jetro.go.jp/biznews/2025/10/ebab47c2fad23f0d.html

"Animal right" historical persons mentioned

” Animal rights” in Edo period 

The Edict of Compassion for Living Things, known in Japanese as Shorui Awaremi no Rei, was a set of law established in Japan during the Edo period by the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. These edicts were notorious for their extreme and often quaint protection of animals, particularly in dogs. Not only in Japan, but those things were also mentioned by better-known historical persons for long.

 According to the YouTube channel, history of animal rights goes back to almost the beginning of human history. It is said that historical heroes, like Budda, Kant, Thomas Edison and Gandhi mentioned about animal rights. One of them, Abraham Lincoln said "I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being" in 1845. Like this, it can be said that the necessity of animal rights has been discussed for a long spell.

I'm sure that it is difficult to recognize animals' lives as much important as our lives because they cannot talk and complain with the languages we understand. Moreover, it is also true that the concept of animal right is built by human and not by them. Thus, it is hard to define "Animal right" but the way of thinking like this enables us to rethink about today's mass consumption lifestyle and the pet industry. By caring about those concepts, we may be able to remind that we coexist. 

Moby. (2021, November 22). History of Animal Rights | Moby's Veganniversary [動画]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNaeIjsQ2QE

生類憐みの令. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. 2025年12月11日閲覧, https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%9F%E9%A1%9E%E6%86%90%E3%81%BF%E3%81%AE%E4%BB%A4

How we should do to stop animal testing?

In these days, most products surrounding us like cosmetics, medicines or cleaning products were made based on the data and experiments of a great number of animal testings. The necessity of animal testing, however, is called into question now. For one reason, there is a fact that not all of the tests can be adopted or accurate for human experiments. It is said that more than 115 tests are conducted per year but only 43% of them are accurate for human experiments. Moreover, we need to sacrifice many animals for getting data, so some people are concerning and proposing protections and charity for animals. From these points, governments in some countries started to stop animal testing. In EU and several Asian countries, they banned and change the laws related to animal testing in cosmetic developments.

To solve this problem, we should find alternatives for animal testing. Now, it is said that computer testing based on massive databases or experiments using human cells may be effective, but the development of vaccines of COVID-19 was produced using the data of animal testing. Thus, it is also true that animal testing is necessary for us in the future too even if another way is possible for us to do that. On the other hand, I think we can not treat animal subjects’ lives as much as human or pets’ life ( like dogs or cats etc.) I’m sure and acknowledge the necessity of animal testings, but they can’t speak their pain like humans. Of course we can fail and get wrong in experiments particularly in medical field, but it can not be the reason for sacrificing animal’s lives. This is the biggest and most seductive points of this theme, I think.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). (n.d.). *Panic, terror, and near drowning: The forced swim test* [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/nNKRgwHJumM

What If. (n.d.). *What if we stopped animal testing?* [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Gqi6_mOTiBQ

animal protection

 Recent legal developments show how governments are rethinking animal protection. The UK is strengthening welfare rules for crustaceans, prompting retailers to adopt more humane slaughter methods, while Mexico City has passed a law banning bullfights that harm or kill animals. In contrast, the EU has voted to reduce legal protections for wolves, highlighting tensions between conservation goals and agricultural interests. Together, these cases show that animal-related laws are shifting, but not always in the same direction. 

These articles show that animal law is evolving, but in uneven ways. While some countries are expanding protections by recognizing animal suffering and limiting harmful practices, others are weakening conservation rules under political or economic pressure. This contrast suggests that global progress in animal welfare is real but still inconsistent and highly dependent on social and political priorities.

1. Co-op and prawn welfare（Financial Times）

Bentham, M. (2025, January 19). Co-op to stop selling suffocated prawns following welfare outcry. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/8f19519e-9f3b-4b03-

2. EU wolf protection vote（AP News）

Lawless, J. (2025, May 8). European Parliament votes to lower protections on wolves. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/3e0b269e283facd6c292b94985484f1a

3. Mexico City bullfight ban（People Magazine）

Lenthang, M. (2025, January 31). Mexico City votes to ban “violent” bullfight events that harm or kill animals. People. https://people.com/mexico-city-votes-to-ban-violent-bullfights-11699819

Elephant ivory

 

Researchers at university of Hong Kong found a new way to identify whether ivory cames from elephants or from woolly mammoths. To make a sale of elephant’s ivory is mostly illegal in the world and this technique will promote the prevalence of this kinds of laws and their protection.(1)

Also, this law became operative to another species like hippos or whales in UK. This is also for animal protection from the marketers. (2)

While I searching this topic, I found a barbaric photo on the website that children lifting ivory of elephants dripping blood and the man behind them was just swinging a axe for cutting out another ivory. I feel so sorry about that many people including younger people are related to animal ivory’s market. As a solution of this tragedy, strengthen laws that I was mentioned seems efficient and effective, but some people will not be able to earn a living. Moreover, marketers in this area can sacrifice another animals which are not banned to haunt yet. 

(1)

Africanews. (2025, June 24). Scientists find way to identify elephant ivory disguised as legal mammoth ivory. Africanews. https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/24/scientists-find-way-to-identify-elephant-ivory-disguised-as-legal-mammoth-ivory/

(2)

Oceanographic Magazine. (2025, January 18). Sperm whale, orca, and narwhal now protected from UK ivory trade. Oceanographic Magazine. https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/sperm-whale-orca-and-narwhal-now-protected-from-uk-ivory-trade/

Mink fur marketing

  In these days, mink fur coats are sold in many countries as luxuries. However, the beginning of history of  mink fur market is quite different than that I expected. After 1929, North American species were imported into UK, and be released to wildlife by their owners or bleeders during fluctuations in fur trade. Minks were first recorded as breeding in wildlife in 1956 and spread to other parts of countries after then. After the otter hunting was banned in 1976 because of their precipitous decline , people started to enjoy hunting mink. Ordinary, people in the UK hunt mink along the rivers with otter hounds or mink hounds which are dogs good at hunting small animals. They should go into the river, so hunting is conducted in summer or autumn. Though hunting is necessary to prevent from bleeding extremely, it is said that prior to the Hunting Act, which made mink hunting illegal, the 20 mink hunts killed between 400 and 1,400 mink annually. Mink’s fur can be sold at a high price, so over hunting is one of the serious problems. For this, national governments like UK or US made laws to protect minks from this problem by imposing legal limits such as open seasons for hunting, licenses and merchandising contracts. By ding so, we can not only protect minks but also the other life’s environment. Moreover, there are another regulations of traps. I learned that many countries have introduced strict laws to regulate or even ban mink hunting and fur farming.These laws, such as the Hunting Act in the UK and the EU regulations on invasive species, show how society is trying to protect both animals and the environment.I think legal restrictions are necessary because they prevent cruelty to animals and help maintain ecological balance.However, it is also important to raise public awareness so that people understand the reasons behind these laws, not just obey them.Through learning about mink and related legislation, I realized that law is not only about punishment, but also about promoting ethical responsibility toward nature.

MF130255wsx. (2023, August 28). Wildlife Guardian | Mink hunting. Wildlife Guardian. https://www.wildlifeguardian.co.uk/hunting/mink-hunting/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/pei120182.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com