Outlawing octopus farms: Could US bans influence EU and incentivize alt-protein innovation?

08 Mar 2024 --- The US states of Washington, California and Hawaii have introduced bills to outlaw octopus farming and animal protection groups are confident that similar bans will proliferate across the country. The US bans could also influence the EU, which sees itself as the global leader in animal welfare, to take similar action.

In Europe, a fierce debate is raging around Nueva Pescanova’s plans to open the world’s first industrial octopus farm in the Canary Islands. The Spanish company told us it wants to respond to increasing consumer demand for octopus meat by launching the facility, but NGOs insist the sentient animals could never be farmed ethically or sustainably.

Obstacles remain to Nueva Pescanova’s factory farm — the project must still undergo an environmental impact assessment, and there is no confirmed date for operations to start. The EU currently provides no protection to octopuses in farming conditions, but the European Commission (EC) is set to revise and extend its animal welfare regulations to include cephalopods.

The US bans will send a strong signal to the EU and influence industry decisions, says Keri Tietge, octopus project consultant at Eurogroup for Animals, especially since the most recent bill introduced in California extends to ban farmed octopus imports as well as production.

“As with any legislation, it is a critical moment when there is a first-of-its-kind law introduced, and it seems that Washington state will be leading the way on banning octopus farming with the decision expected imminently,” she tells Food Ingredients First.

However, Giulia Malerbi, global policy lead at the Aquatic Life Institute, who is currently working with legislators in additional US states to promote octopus farming bans, reminds us that the process of changing legislation in the EU is complex and must balance diverse state views and interests.

“Thus, while the US bans could serve as a catalyst for discussion in the EU, significant legislative changes would require a comprehensive approach,” she says.

Octopus without the octopus
The expectation that octopus farming bans will spread across the Western world could spur innovation in plant- and cell-based alternatives. Last year, ProVeg International invited firms to apply to its incubator scheme and develop cultivated octopus to help prevent octopus farming.

According to Peter Rixon, senior international PR manager at the NGO, the US bans could spur food companies and start-ups to invest in developing octopus alternatives, aiming to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable and ethical seafood.

“The implementation of bans could also raise awareness among consumers about the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional seafood production methods, leading to a greater willingness to try plant-based alternatives and cultivated options once they become available,” he tells Food Ingredients First.

“Alternatives also eliminate the suffering of these intelligent and sentient animals, so consumers can enjoy the taste and texture of octopus without contributing to the exploitation of marine animals.”

Last year, Nueva Pescanova told us that its project “fully complies with the guidelines issued by the EC for a balanced convergence between the growth of the aquaculture sector and the green transition,” adding that it has achieved “optimal conditions for octopus culture that ensure their well-being.”Octopus meat demand is growing worldwide and animal protection groups fear a lucrative farming industry could emerge.

The beginning or end?
The only known octopus farm in the US was the Kanaloa Octopus Farm in Hawaii, which described itself as a research facility. Last year, it was ordered to suspend activities after a Compassion in World Farming campaign called out its “cruel and unsustainable practices.” The facility is now permanently closed. 

But demand for octopus meat continues to grow in the US. According to Allison Molinaro, US campaigns manager at Compassion in World Farming, the consumption of octopuses has increased fourfold in the last four decades in the country.

“Octopus is largely considered a luxury food item in the US, so I suspect that prospective companies are hoping to sell octopus to high-end seafood restaurants. Along with the increased consumption, I suspect the reason why octopus farming plans are cropping up is because entrepreneurs are hoping to turn it into a luxury industry and generate high profits,” she tells us.

For Malerbi at the Aquatic Life Institute, there is a strong possibility that more bills will be introduced in other US states in the next few years. If the bans are enacted in California, Washington and Hawaii, a precedent will be set that supports this mission.

“We have seen what happens when industrialized animal agriculture gets out of hand — biodiversity and ecosystems are lost, local communities and cultures are destroyed and billions of animals suffer. Many stakeholders, from fishermen to people in hospitality and tourism to animal advocates, don’t want to see a giant aquaculture operation in their community.”Octopus farming bans could incentivize the development of plant-based alternatives.

Building awareness
There remains a lack of public awareness around octopus farming — and industrial animal farming in general — and its detrimental impacts on the natural environment and animal welfare, warn animal protection groups.

“The lack of awareness is still a challenge,” says Molinaro at Compassion in World Farming. “Without knowing much about octopus farming and its risks, it could be easy for residents and elected officials to not get involved until it is too late.”

“We don’t want people to wait until an octopus farm is up and running and polluting their coastlines and depleting their wild fish populations, or until an undercover investigation shows hundreds of octopuses dying slowly in an ice slurry, to take action against octopus farming — we need to be proactive.”

Meanwhile, the US bills to outlaw octopus farming transcend safeguarding the welfare of these intelligent and complex creatures and serve as a powerful declaration against the precarious trajectory of our current food systems, says Malerbi at the Aquatic Life Institute.

“Whether for land animals or aquatic, factory farming is bad for animals, people and the planet, and we want to get ahead of the industry before it gets too powerful, like the terrestrial industrialized animal agriculture industry that is here already,” she tells Food Ingredients First.

“Today, many communities have virtually no legal levers to prevent a concentrated animal feeding operation from descending upon them. We do not need to add another arm (no pun intended) to an overpowerful, unsustainable and unethical industry.”

However, there are reportedly attempts to establish octopus farms in other parts of the world, including China, Japan and Mexico, as global demand grows.

By Joshua Poole