Animal welfare campaigners in Europe are calling on EU lawmakers to prevent food corporations from establishing large-scale octopus farms throughout the continent following the recent acquisition of a hatchery permit by multinational fishing group Grupo Profand. While the license is specified for research purposes, animal protection organizations say it could open the door to cruel and environmentally damaging industrial production. 

Grupo Profand claims that the objective of its research hatchery plans, which were approved by the Spanish government, is solely to optimize the larval phase of the common octopus “without the aim of production or commercialization.” However, the project description on the permit request specifies research for “industrial exploitation.” 

Keri Tietge, aquatic animals project officer at Eurogroup for Animals, tells Food Ingredients First that whatever the company’s true intentions are, the research findings could be used to advance captive octopus breeding. She says the upcoming revision of EU animal welfare legislation, due next year, is a significant opportunity.

“This is an opportune moment for introducing a preemptive ban on octopus farming. If the law extends to include invertebrates, octopus farming would go against the following measure in the current rules: ‘No animal shall be kept for farming purposes unless it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype or phenotype, that it can be kept without detrimental effect on its health or welfare.’”

“Scientific evidence shows that high-welfare octopus farming is impossible, and there is currently no humane slaughter method available to kill octopuses for commercial purposes,” she explains.

The European Commission has consequently promised to publish a proposal to revise its welfare regulations, align them with the latest science, and answer EU citizens’ growing concerns about animal welfare.

“If the EU considers the latest scientific recommendations for octopus farming, we have no doubt that policymakers here would come to the same conclusion as we are seeing repeatedly in the US, which is that octopus farming should be banned,” Tietge continues.

EU commercialization

In 2023, another Spanish seafood corporation, Nueva Pescanova, obtained a permit to build the world’s first industrial octopus farm in the Canary Islands. The farm would slaughter roughly 1 million octopuses per year. The announcement brought widespread condemnation, and fears over pollution, cruelty, and damage to local human health were raised.

The company’s environmental impact assessment was subsequently rejected, and it is currently working to submit a new assessment while conducting research into optimizing diets for captive octopuses. 

Tietge says these are worrying developments. Last year, research by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) also revealed that European governments have spent millions in public funding to develop octopus farming, with the Spanish government spending €9.7 million (US$10.5 million).

“If EU legislators do not act, they will go against the advice of scientists and enable the emergence of an unsustainable industry that will cause unwarranted suffering to sentient beings.” 

“Nueva Pescanova’s planned farm would breed, keep, and slaughter one million octopuses per year, but more octopus farms would follow. As octopuses are just one in a long line of carnivorous species being considered for introduction into factory farms, it will also send a strong signal that corporate profits will be prioritized over the health of the oceans and communities that rely on them,” she says. 

Environmental damage would also be significant. Carnivores like octopuses would require vast amounts of wild-caught fish to feed them in farms, which would, in turn, increase overfishing and divert resources from vulnerable communities, Tietge explains. 

Holding back expansion 

Demonstrating a commitment to high welfare seafood will benefit F&B companies looking to answer consumer opposition to animal cruelty, according to Eurogroup. 

“We are already seeing a response from industry players in terms of aquaculture certification schemes. Four different certification bodies have spoken out against octopus farming, stating that they would be unable to certify any farmed octopus products due to serious welfare concerns,” Tietge continues. 

For instance, this year, a number of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains committed to implementing electrical stunning for all farmed prawns and shrimp by 2027.

“Industry associations should know that an increasing number of consumers are prioritizing animal welfare when making their purchasing decisions. In a recent survey, Eurogroup found that an overwhelming nine out of ten of respondents polled across nine EU countries said they would like to buy fish raised in better welfare conditions.”

“By opposing octopus farming, an industry wher there is clear scientific evidence indicating that this industry should be prevented for welfare reasons, industry associations can demonstrate their commitment to responsible sourcing and stand with what their consumers want. Furthermore, as octopus farming doesn’t yet exist, they can easily make this commitment to consumers without needing to make any changes across their current supply chains.”