Why octopus farming threatens animal welfare and ocean health

Ghost came from the waters of British Columbia weighing only three pounds. Since then, this extraordinary giant Pacific octopus has been captive in the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Giant Pacific octopuses live for three to five years.  Now weighing 50 pounds, Ghost is estimated to be between two and four years old. She’s proved to be every bit as characterful, intelligent and playful as we know octopuses can be.  Crawling into a basket so staff can weigh her. Playing puzzles.  Seeking food hidden in her toys. In every way reminding staff and visitors that octopuses are magical creatures to be respected and revered for their inspiring ingenuity and intellect.

Yet the story of Ghost has no happy ending. Ghost laid eggs a few weeks ago and entered the last phase of her life cycle, known as senescence and she is dying. That’s because during this last phase life stage, an octopus will neglect her own basic needs to ensure her eggs survive.  

But Ghost’s eggs are unfertilized and will never hatch.

Octopuses are extraordinary – the race to breed them in captivity has been going on for decades.  But is it right to breed these beautiful creatures in intensive farms?

Keep them wild

In 2019 a Spanish multi-national, the Nueva Pescanova Corporation announced that they’d managed to rear octopuses all the way to adulthood and even on to laying eggs in captivity.  The company now plans to build the world’s first commercial octopus farm in the Canary Islands, where it would reportedly produce about a million octopuses for food each year.  

We are joined by scientists and others in being hugely worried Nuvea Pescanova might succeed in their aims. Confining hundreds of octopuses together in tanks will likely cause them stress and cannibalism in these highly territorial creatures who normally lead solitary lives. 

On World Octopus Day, our new report, ‘The Growing Threat of Carnivorous Aquaculture’ warns that farming octopuses comes not only with serious welfare issues but also threatens the fragile balance of marine ecosystems. 

If octopus farming takes hold in Gran Canaria, millions of newly confined animals will add to the already destructive spread of intensive aquaculture that pollutes waters, relies on wild-caught fish to feed the captive octopus, and accelerates the depletion of our oceans.

Exposed

Undercover footage of octopus slaughter methods underscores the welfare nightmare likely to ensue if octopus farming goes ahead. Compassion’s new footage of wild-caught octopuses shows how the animals suffer slow and agonising deaths by being forcibly submerged into icy water where it can take 10 minutes or more to die.

With your help, we will do all we can to stop octopus farming before it starts. We are urging policymakers to back a new global pledge to ‘Keep Them Wild’, showing support for a ban on octopus farming and the unsustainable expansion of aquaculture.  

It has never been more important to stand up for our world and the species that live alongside us. 

If you have been moved by Ghost’s story and wish to support our campaign to stop the intensive farming of octopus please share our pledge on social media tagging your MP, MEP or regional representative and asking them to sign.