Critics Horrified by World’s First Octopus Farm

Despite mounting evidence that the creatures can feel pain and pleasure, a Spanish company is pouring tens of millions of dollars into becoming the world's first commercial octopus farm.

A report about Nueva Pescanova, the company set to start farming octopi pending European Union approval, spotlights the significant ethical and environmental concerns looming over the startup fishery that has already loaded 65 million euros into its efforts.

Octopi have been getting a lot of attention. These feisty creatures are beloved online and off, as evidenced by the endless stream of footage showing them fighting with other aquatic animals and humans alike.

In spite of the overwhelming public and scientific acknowledgement of their intelligence, which in 2021 led the UK to legally declare them sentient, octopi fishing has boomed, with some analysts declaring it the fastest-growing food production sector globally. The desire for octopus farms is due to the concern of overfishing.

Critics say that potential farming and fishing is fraught for a number of reasons. The cephalopods exhibit cannibalism, self-mutilation, and aggression towards each other, which has blown up previous captive octopi-breeding efforts.

David Chavarrias, director of Nueva Pescanova, told reporters that the company hasn't observed cannibalism yet.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, it would cost more to foster a high quality of life for intelligent animals than it would be to make money.

TheOctopuses are very curious and intelligent, and they are not happy in captivity.

If we want to continue consuming octopus, we have to look for an alternative, according to a scientist who works for Spain's Oceanography Institute.

Environmental researchers warn that farming octopi harms the environment just as much as fishing.

A professor of environmental studies at New York University wrote an analysis in which she and her colleagues came out against the practice ofopus farming.

Activists point out that this rock-and-a-hard-place scenario is a good reason to stop buying and eating seafood. It's hard to imagine this will be an ethical flashpoint for years to come, as a global vibe shift away from eating these intelligent cephalopods or the EU deciding not to let octopi farming go ahead.

The world's first octopus farm stirs ethical debate.

Scientists say that Octopuses love to fling objects at each other.

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