Say No to Experimental Octopus Hatchery
Sign the Petition
Please join Species Unite in calling on the Government of Galicia, Spain, to withdraw support for the recently approved experimental octopus hatchery before it is too late.
The global fight to stop octopus factory farming is facing a dangerous new threat. In northern Spain, an experimental hatchery may soon pave the way for large-scale captive breeding of octopuses, an industry that would cause immense suffering for these intelligent, sensitive animals.
Earlier this year, the General Directorate of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Technological Innovation in Galicia, Spain, granted a ten-year aquaculture activity permit to a company called Octolarvae, a subsidiary of multinational seafood giant Grupo Profand. The permit authorizes the construction of an experimental hatchery in Moaña to conduct research into raising octopuses in captivity.
The company claims its goal is to find a sustainable alternative to the declining wild octopus populations caused by overfishing. But environmental scientists warn that captive breeding could put even more pressure on marine ecosystems as captive octopuses require large amounts of fish to survive, adding further strain to already fragile ocean food chains.
Though Octolarvae says the facility is intended solely for scientific research into the larval stage of the common octopus and is not being built for commercial production, it is clear that if they succeed in overcoming the challenges of industrial octopus farming, it will open the floodgates to factory farms around the world.
This must not happen.
Octopuses are some of the most intelligent and emotionally complex beings in the ocean. They solve puzzles, use tools, and have impressive long-term memories. They are not meant to live in industrial settings, and they suffer terribly in captivity, with consistently high mortality rates. Because octopuses lack skeletons, they are prone to injury in tight enclosures. As solitary animals, they also experience extreme stress when confined with others, often leading to cannibalism.
Farming octopuses is not only unethical, it is cruel, unnecessary, and incompatible with any vision of a sustainable future.
Species Unite is calling on the Galician government to immediately revoke the aquaculture activity permit granted to Octolarvae SLU. This project poses serious ethical and environmental risks. It will pave the way for immense suffering and the exploitation of one of the ocean’s most remarkable species.
Take Action Now
Please join us in urging the Galician authorities to withdraw their support for this project before it’s too late. Together, we can stop the spread of octopus factory farming before it begins.