A alphabetic character signed by 100 scientist has been write in the journalScience , asking for congressional support of the “ oppose the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies ” Act . Or OCTOPUS Act , for short . The goal : to push through a Union bill that would make itillegal to farm octopuses , and deal sum obtained through commercialoctopus farming .
Octopus farming has already beenoutlawed in Washingtonstate thanks to a first - of - its - kind poster that was sign into practice of law in March 2024 , and similar legislation has been brought forward inCalifornia and Hawai’i . However , in the rest of the United States , and the rest of the world , it ’s open for consideration .
Octopus farming and animal welfare
The Spanish companyNueva Pescanovais presently lead the octopus agriculture charge , with plans to open up a site in the Canary Islands . According to documents seen by theBBC , the site would raise around one million devilfish every year for human consumption , but can so many highly intelligent brute exist without suffer in such a limited environs ?
As this recent letter in Science demonstrates , there are many elements tooctopusesthat would appear to make them a wretched lucifer for commercial farming .
“ Octopuses have a large and pass around nervous system , economic consumption tools , sense Light Within with their whole body , and sample the world as they impact it , ” it reads . “ [ They are ] not suited for a life in a controlled , unimaginative , and monotonic surround with set diets and regimented feeding schedules . ”
“Octopuses have a large and distributed nervous system, use tools, sense light with their whole body, and taste the world as they touch it.“Image credit: Diego Grandi/Shutterstock.com
“ devilfish vulgarisindividuals bring up in a basic surroundings that probable mimic that of commercial production became withdrawn , exhibit behaviors standardized to when they are in situations of enmity and difference of opinion . high-pitched - welfare commercial husbandry of devilfish has been view as ‘ presently unimaginable ’ . ”
That has n’t stop people try in the past tense , but maintain captive octopuses is n’t easy . Octopus farming effort in Australia see dependable final result for gist yield in small juveniles catch from the wilderness and grow in captivity , but could n’t support the paralarvae , the earliest stage of an octopus . Areporton the projection stated : “ usually watch over mellow mortalities and poor development in former stages of larval ontogeny are thought to be affiliate with nutritional imbalances of live prey , feed additives and enrichment . ”
Octopus farming and the environment
Even if we move beyond the animal welfare and poor hatchery outcomes , octopus land and aquaculture pose many environmental issues .
“ When you put animals into tight confines , they become stressed , ” explainedSophika Kostyniuk , Managing Director of the Aquatic Life Instituteto IFLScience . “ They become more vulnerable to disease , their bodies are more susceptible to infections , so we will definitely see the introduction of antibiotics , pesticides , and fungicides that will menstruate out into the surround . ”
“ These [ farming ] sites so far have been proposed right along the coasts and shoreline , so that would be flowing out into the ocean . We have sex that atomic number 7 and phosphorus will also be sum to the farms – that will also flow out into the environment . We know that octopuses can be highly virulent , so any pathogen that start to occur on these farm , or viruses , they could also flux out into the surround . We have a lot of concerns around environmental impacts directly surrounding and possibly even further out from these aim farms . ”
"[Octopuses are] not suited for a life in a controlled, sterile, and monotonous environment with set diets and regimented feeding schedules.“Image credit: Diego Grandi/Shutterstock.com
Octopus farming: do we even need it?
The last nail in octopus farming ’s coffin is that , unlike some other forms of agriculture , its primary purpose does n’t seem to be to feed thirsty people – instead , satisfy the needs of the few to have in high spirits - ticket items on restaurant menus .
“ The chief number one wood for an devilfish mart are increase alien heart and soul demand and rising disposable income rather than a need to speak nutrient insecurity , ” say the letter . “ satisfy opulence markets does not apologise the strong threats that octopus farm would pose to beast welfare and marine ecosystems . ”
“ The US Congress should put up the OCTOPUS Act of 2024 and keep the inevitable disconfirming result of devilfish farming by pass the police force . devilfish and the oceans will be salubrious ifO. vulgarisstays wild . ”
require to know more about octopus ' tidings and effectual rights ? Check outThe Big Questions , where we ’ll be discuss " Are Octopuses Sentient ? " on 17 October .
