Final answer:
The statement is false. Bioethical debates frequently address issues of moral status and moral protection, especially in the context of animal ethics and environmental ethics. These debates consider how we ought to treat animals and the environment from an ethical standpoint.
Step-by-step explanation:
The assertion that bioethical debates, particularly in animal ethics and environmental ethics, are never concerned with issues of moral status and moral protection is False. Bioethical debates encompass a wide range of issues including the treatment of animals in research and the impact of human actions on the environment. The subject of moral status is a key element in these discussions as it pertains to who or what should be included in the sphere of moral concern. Moreover, moral protection is directly related to how these entities, once included in the moral community, should be treated.
In the realm of animal ethics, there is ongoing discourse about whether animals should be used for research purposes, as they cannot consent to such use; this brings into question their moral status and the protections they should be afforded. Similarly, environmental ethics involves debates over our obligations to non-human aspects of the environment and how to ethically manage conservation efforts that respect the rights of all affected parties.