NBSV 209: What a fish knows (and feels) — animal sentience and vegan ethics with Jonathan Balcombe
- Karina Inkster
- Nov 11
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Biologist and bestselling author Dr. Jonathan Balcombe joins me to discuss fish sentience, the surprising intelligence of fishes, and what science reveals about how they think and feel. Jonathan holds a PhD in ethology, the study of animal behaviour, and has dedicated his career to understanding and communicating the inner lives of animals. He’s the author of five popular science books and has published over 60 scientific papers and book chapters on animal behaviour and animal protection.
In this conversation, we dive into fascinating research showing that fishes can experience stress relief, fall for optical illusions, and even build social relationships—evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about these often-overlooked animals. We also explore the ethics of fishing and insect farming, the evolving science of animal sentience, and how language shapes our empathy toward other species.
Important topics we discussed:
>> Animal sentience: what it means, how it’s studied, and why it’s the foundation of ethics and veganism
>> The science of fish consciousness: evidence that fishes feel pain, experience stress, and even fall for optical illusions
>> Individuality in animals: why Dr. Balcombe uses “fishes” instead of “fish” to emphasize that each one is a unique being
Connect with Jonathan:
>> Jonathan's book, What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins
>> Jonathan's children's book, Jake and Ava: A Boy and a Fish
>> Jonathan's website
Episode transcript:
Access a full transcript of the episode here.
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>> Comment on the episode's Facebook post.
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