The Scientific Council for Animal Welfare's defintions of key concepts

Animal protection and animal welfare

The term ‘animal protection’ is used when referring to human actions and responsibilities; what humans do, do not do, or should do for animals. The term ‘animal welfare’ is used to refer to the experience of the individual animal and how well it can cope with its situation. More specifically, it uses the definition of animal welfare adopted by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), which states that ‘Animal welfare refers to the physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies’ (WOAH, 2022). The Council's opinions focus on scientific findings related to animal welfare and, to some extent, animal protection, but it may also be appropriate to highlight human interests, or various environmental aspects, in the context of the mandate.

Stress

‘Stress’ is a general term for a series of standard physiological responses, often accompanied by changes in behaviour. Stress can be caused by a wide range of stimuli and different individuals may react differently to the same situation. The extent of the stress reaction depends on the individual's perception of the situation and their ability to anticipate and control the situation. Stress is a natural reaction aimed at protecting the individual, but can become a welfare problem if the individual's ability to manage the situation is exceeded. Repeated or prolonged stress bouts cause physiological reactions, which can result in, among other things, strain on the cardiovascular system and a supressed immune system, which can lead to illness. Stress reactions can be measured and partly understood through physiological parameters and behavioural observations.

Suffering

‘Suffering’ is the mental experience of physical or mental distress of a significant intensity and duration. Suffering can involve stress, but does not have to do so. While stress reactions can often be measured, the subjective experience of the individual - and thus the degree of suffering - can be more difficult to assess. The term ‘unnecessary suffering’ is used, for example, in the Swedish Animal Welfare Act (2018:1192), but there is no uniform definition of the term. 

Environmental enrichment

‘Environmental enrichment’ means making changes to an animal's environment that promote its biological functioning and behavioural repertoire. The effect can be demonstrated through improved health, mental well-being, increased resistance to stress, and further development of behavioural and cognitive abilities. To achieve enrichment effects, different methods can be used, such as presenting feed in ways that stimulate foraging behaviour, dividing enclosures into different functional areas, and creating dynamic environments that promote individual choice, social cohesion, species-specific movement patterns and cognitive stimulation. An enriched environment contains features that go beyond those required to satisfy an individual's life support and basic behavioural needs.

Risk assessment

The Council will work in a risk-assessment manner. In a strict sense, ‘risk assessment’ is a framework for providing a systematic, scientific and transparent basis for addressing specific problems by assessing the risk of mainly negative (undesirable) consequences. A full risk assessment takes into account all known factors that may influence the consequences in question, as well as the likelihood of these consequences if one or more factors are present. The estimated risk is a combination of the severity of a consequence and the likelihood of it occurring in the population under study. The more complete and reliable the available scientific information is, the more reliable the risk assessment will be. Risk assessment should be distinguished from ‘risk management’, which is instead about how risks are managed and what decisions may need to be taken to prevent them. Risk management is not part of the Council's mandate.

References

WOAH. 2022. Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Terrestrial Code Online Access – WOAH - The World Organisation for Animal Health. Retrieved 2023-12-05