Demand Legal Protection for Octopuses in the EU
Sign the Petition
Please join us in demanding that the European Commission update their existing animal welfare legislation to cover invertebrate animal species, including octopuses.
Species Unite has received a response from the European Commission to the petition we sent in the fall calling on the Spanish Government and the European Union to ban octopus factory farming.
The incredible unity and determination that this community showed in speaking out on this issue allowed our petition to surpass 50,000 signatures and forced the European Commission to take notice!
Unfortunately their response was not sufficient and shows us that they are not ready to do the right thing when it comes to protecting octopuses from becoming the next victims of factory farming.
Their response stated in part: “As regards animal welfare, as you mention in your letter, the existing animal welfare legislation is not applicable to invertebrate animal species and there are currently no EU rules for the protection of octopuses kept for farming purposes” - They went on to note that the European Commission plans to look into this issue between now and 2030!
That is unacceptable! Octopuses cannot wait that long when the threat of factory farming is getting closer every day.
Washington State has banned octopus factory farming and the European Commission should be ashamed that they are allowing the EU to fall behind when they have always claimed to be a world leader in animal welfare policy.
They have the power to act now but we need to keep putting the pressure on. We need to let the European Commission know that their answer is not satisfactory and we will not stop until we get justice.
Please join us in demanding that the European Commission update their existing animal welfare legislation to cover invertebrate animal species, including octopuses!