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The Parliament of Canada's official site hosts an interesting summary of research on the subject. Citing numerous scientific studies, the site concludes, "Although it is impossible to know the subjective experience of another animal with certainty, the balance of the evidence suggests that most invertebrates (like lobsters) do not feel pain." Here's why ... According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), when considering the concept of pain, it's the "subjective, emotional response that's considered important" and not the "activation of pain sensors in the body." Only animals that can experience
emotions such as fear, anxiety, distress, and terror can feel what we think of as pain. This article from ABC News seems to back up these findings. When asked whether lobsters feel pain after being placed in boiling water, Tony Yaksh, a professor of anesthesiology, responded that because they lack the emotional component, lobsters feel something different than pain as we know it. Additionally, an independent study funded by the Norwegian government found that the nervous systems of lobsters are too simple to process pain.
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