There is no octopus farm yet, but there are proposals to make one. However, the world's first-ever octopus farm proposal was met with disapproval from some scientists.
Octopus Farm Proposal Raises Concern
There is a plan to build an octopus farm in Spain's Canary Islands. The first octopus farm aims to raise a million octopuses each year for consumption, according to confidential documents obtained by BBC.
However, some scientists were not on board after learning that the process involves icy water slaughtering because the method is "cruel." However, the Spanish multinational behind the proposal denied that the octopuses would suffer.
The confidential document from company Nueva Pescanova ended up in the hands of BBC after the campaign organization Eurogroup for Animals handed it to the outlet.
Nueva Pescanova reportedly sent the proposal to Canary Island's General Directorate of Fishing. BBC contacted the latter but has not received a response from them.
There has been a race to unveil the secret of breeding octopuses in captivity for decades because, as larvae, they only eat live food and have to be in a controlled environment. However, in 2019, Nueva Pescanova announced that it had made a scientific breakthrough.
Based on the proposal, the octopuses, which are solitary animals, would be kept in tanks with other octopuses. They are used to the dark but would be housed at times under constant light.
They would be kept in around 1,000 communal tanks in a two-story building in the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. They would be killed when placed in containers of water at -3C, according to the documents.
Prof. Peter Tse, a neurologist at Dartmouth University, told BBC that subjecting them to extreme coldness is a slow death for the smart creatures, and it would be very cruel. So, it should not be allowed.
Slaughtering fish using ice slurry reportedly causes a slow and stressful death. Due to this, supermarkets have already stopped selling fish that have been killed using ice, including Tesco and Morrisons.
Tse added that octopuses are as intelligent as cats and should be killed more humanely. He suggested following the fishermen's way by clubbing them over the head.
Octopus Farm Disapproved
Several experts were against the first octopus farm proposal. For them, it isn't fair to the eight-limbed mollusk.
Jonathan Birch, an associate professor at the London School of Economics, led a review of more than 300 scientific studies and said that octopuses feel pain and pleasure. He added that putting many octopuses together and in close proximity will lead to stress, conflict, and high mortality. He noted that 10 to 15% mortality should not be acceptable in farming.
Elena Lara from CiWF also wanted the Canary Islands authorities to disapprove of the farm construction. It would only subject the intelligent and fascinating creatures to unnecessary torture for her.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO at Eurogroup for Animal, said that the European Commission is reviewing its animal welfare legislation and has the "real opportunity" to avoid terrible suffering.
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