The world's first octopus farm - should it go ahead? (2023)

FAQs

Should octopus be farmed? ›

Researchers have suggested that, as particularly intelligent and playful creatures, octopuses are unsuited to a life in captivity and mass-production. Animal rights activists argue that farming octopuses will, based on this evidence, induce needless suffering on an unprecedented scale.

An article published in 2019 in Issues in Science and Technology concluded: “Farming octopus is counterproductive from a perspective of environmental sustainability and misguided from a perspective of humane food production.” Yet many forms of aquaculture have been on the rise.

A plan to build the world's first octopus farm has raised deep concerns among scientists over the welfare of the famously intelligent creatures. The farm in Spain's Canary Islands would raise about a million octopuses annually for food, according to confidential documents seen by the BBC.

Nueva Pescanova's reply comes after more than 760,000 names were added to a petition calling for a global ban of octopus farming. Signatories argued against killing methods and said rearing normally solitary octopuses together in large tanks would be “torture on an industrial scale”.

It is currently difficult to culture the early life stages of octopus and maintain high survival rates for their paralarvae, mainly because of high mortality rates by poor zoo-technical conditions or equipment, and also because of conspecific cannibalism.

Octopus is high in sodium, so be sure to eat it in moderation if you're watching your intake. Some people have an intolerance to the proteins in seafood. If you have an allergy to types of shellfish — like oysters, scallops, or shrimp — you should also avoid octopus.

"One study revealed that octopuses in small tanks outfitted with flowerpots, stones, beads and shells still showed signs of distress and even self-mutilation. Your average fish tank setup probably isn't going to cut it." Octopuses are not bred for captivity or companionship.

Fish species are already on the brink of collapse from massive overfishing and any octopus farm will further deplete fish communities living in the oceans. For every 3kg of octopus killed, 9kg of fish must also be killed to feed them, making it an unsustainable practice.

Countries that eat the most octopus are Korea, Japan and Mediterranean countries where they are considered a delicacy. As the demand for eating octopus increases, including in North America, it's been called an ethical and environmental disaster with a whole new set of controversial issues.

Octopus growth rates are relatively high and they also have a short life cycle, making them suitable for commercial aquaculture. The major producer of Octopus are; China and Japan.

Which country declares octopus sentient? ›

The United Kingdom has confirmed what everybody who ugly cried during "My Octopus Teacher" already knew: Octopuses are sentient — capable, that is, of perceiving things like pain and pleasure.

Through imaging, the team determined that, in addition to running the length of each arm, at least two of the four INCs extend into the body of the octopus, where they bypass the two adjacent arms and merge with the INC of the third arm over. This pattern means that all the arms are connected symmetrically.

The owner of a controversial octopus “farm” on Hawaii's Big Island was ordered to “cease and desist” nonpermitted operations in January after a clamor over the small outfit, which charges visitors $60 for the opportunity to touch a wild-caught day octopus.

11. Why doesn't Craig intervene when the octopus is attacked by a shark? Craig didn't want to interfere with the natural course that nature must take. The reality can be heartbreaking, especially as many of us watched alongside Craig as the Common Octopus got her arm bitten off by a pajama shark.

Paul correctly predicted the outcome of the semi-final, by choosing the food in the box marked with the Spanish flag. German supporters drew hope from his incorrect choice for the Germany versus Spain match in the UEFA Euro 2008 but were disappointed. The prediction led to German fans calling for Paul to be eaten.

For ethical and environmental reasons, raising octopuses in captivity for food is a bad idea. Octopuses stand out among invertebrates for their complex behavior.

Octopus is an incredibly nutritious lean source of protein. The seafood is low in calories and fat, yet it's full of vitamins B6 and B12, selenium, copper, iron, zinc, and more.

There are many ways to kill an octopus. Most octopus hunters use spear guns to capture them close to shore, although they can get tangled in a fisherman's net. When you spear an octopus, you have to humanely and quickly kill it.

Yanagidako is a cleaned and fully cooked octopus and is entirely edible. The tentacles can be sliced thin and are quite tender and tasty. The skin has a pleasing red color while the meat is a creamy white. Sliced or diced yanagidako can be easily added to salads, ceviche, soups, and sushi preparations.

It varies according to species, but octopuses, both wild and captive, live roughly 1 to 5 years. This short lifespan is a consequence of a reproductive strategy known as semelparity, meaning that octopuses breed only once in their lifetime and die shortly thereafter.

Do octopuses feel pain? ›

A science-based report from the University of British Columbia to the Canadian Federal Government has been quoted as stating "The cephalopods, including octopus and squid, have a remarkably well developed nervous system and may well be capable of experiencing pain and suffering."

Octopuses are playful, resourceful, and inquisitive. Some species cuddle with one another, while others have been known to bond with humans. They are among the most highly evolved invertebrates and are considered by many biologists to be the most intelligent.

Bored octopuses will often eat their own arms. This is called autophagy.

The researchers also say that octopus farms would produce high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. Besides the impracticality of farming octopus, the researchers say that octopuses are not necessary for ensuring food security.

1. Chicken. Environmental Working Group (EWG), researchers found chicken is the most sustainable choice out of all the different types of meat.

Live octopus is a delicacy in some parts of the world, including South Korea and Japan. But if it isn't prepared properly, it could kill you. A nutritionist told INSIDER it's not recommended because the suckers make octopus a choking hazard.

​ Octopus, a shellfish product, is not vegan. A vegan dietitian reviewed this note on octopus for Fig.

The meat is very white with a nice, firm texture. If prepared correctly, it is not tough or chewy, but actually quite tender. To me, they taste kind of “scallopy” and “crabby” at the same time, and can be served in cold dishes as well as hot preparations.

Is octopus the most intelligent animal in the world? ›

The very smart octopus can navigate their way through mazes and solve problems quickly. The octopus is the only invertebrate animal to make our list of the world's most intelligent animals.

Octopus shortage is ongoing and the price is rising in the Western Indonesia. Octopus falls short in North Sumatera. The main source for octopuses in North Sumatra is Aceh, the most northern province in Sumatra Island.

Squid and octopus populations are booming around the world.

If we could turn all the animals into humans to take the IQ test, octopuses would outscore most humans on the math portion at a genuis level of above 140. They would also do very very well at spatial visual.

Octopuses have demonstrated intelligence in a number of ways, says Jon. 'In experiments they've solved mazes and completed tricky tasks to get food rewards. They're also adept at getting themselves in and out of containers.

Non-sentient animals would then include sponges, corals, anemones, and hydras. Again, as in the case of plants, these animals may react to external stimuli, and even engage in locomotion.

Giant Pacific octopus: 3 – 5 years

Octopus / Lifespan

The giant Pacific octopus, also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus Enteroctopus. Its spatial distribution includes the coastal North Pacific, along Mexico, The United States, Canada, Russia, Eastern China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.

Wikipedia

Humans are more closely related to dinosaurs than they are to octopuses. Our lineage split from that of cephalopods—the spineless class that includes octopuses, squids and cuttlefish—half a billion years ago.

While octopuses generally avoid humans, attacks have occasionally been verified. For example, a 240-centimeter (8-foot) Pacific octopus, said to be nearly perfectly camouflaged, approached a diver and attempted to wrap itself around the diver and his camera. Another diver recorded the encounter on video.

Hawaiian octopuses are none-the-less, a very popular food item and are sought after by local fishermen who catch them by hand or using spears. Early Hawaiians also relished octopus and captured them either by spearing or by using lures made of a large cowry shell lashed onto a hook.

Why does Hawaii have so many invasive species? ›

Invasive species occur globally, but Hawaii is more susceptible to invasive species because they are islands. The entire island chain of Hawaii has been devastated by invasive insects, plants, hoofed animals such as deer, goats, pigs and other pests.

Though the land takeover hasn't quite happened yet, cephalopods -- you may know them better as squid, octopus and cuttlefish, among others -- are taking over oceans. Since the 1950s, of the 35 species studied, most have seen a population boom, according to a new report in Current Biology.

Scientists have found that octopuses can navigate their way through mazes, solve problems quickly and remember those solutions, at least for the short term.

My Octopus Teacher is both a gorgeous wildlife documentary and a moving tale of how a man in crisis found joy and purpose through immersion in nature and a remarkable relationship with an octopus.

My Octopus Teacher is a 2020 Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, which documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest.

The octopus made four accurate predictions, out of six, in the 2008 Euros. All were for games involving Germany. In the 2010 World Cup, Paul made eight predictions and all were accurate. The octopus chose Spain as the winner in the semifinal against Germany and La Furia Roja won the game 1-0.

Deaths due to a blue-ringed octopus bite are extremely rare. There have only been 3 known deaths. Many more people have been bitten but survived.

The octopuses are not much larger than a ping-pong ball but contain enough venom to kill 26 adult humans. At least three people have died from their bites since the 1960s. Two of those deaths were in Australia. The blue-ringed octopus's neurotoxin helps them catch prey.

For starters, octopuses are intelligent, social, and active animals, so they become bored and stressed easily in captivity without lots of space and ample enrichment. This also makes them adept escape artists! Even smaller species like the dwarf octopus need to live in decently large tanks to thrive.

Most of the seafood we eat today is farmed, however octopus has been exclusively wild-caught due to challenges in hatching and raising them in artificial conditions.

Is it sustainable to eat octopus? ›

Some inshore octopus fisheries are sustainable and have a moderate impact on the environment, but most octopus fisheries, especially those offshore, exploit already low stocks, harm habitat and have high bycatch.

Fish species are already on the brink of collapse from massive overfishing and any octopus farm will further deplete fish communities living in the oceans. For every 3kg of octopus killed, 9kg of fish must also be killed to feed them, making it an unsustainable practice.

As a whole, no, octopuses are not currently listed as endangered or threatened by the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Despite this, they face a range of dangers, including being coveted as a delicacy in Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

People are now eating more octopus than ever: annual global production has more than doubled since 1980, from roughly 180,000 tons to about 370,000 tons. But overfishing has already caused the collapse of multiple wild-octopus fisheries around the world, and current populations likely face similar threats.

Octopuses are playful, resourceful, and inquisitive. Some species cuddle with one another, while others have been known to bond with humans. They are among the most highly evolved invertebrates and are considered by many biologists to be the most intelligent.

Among professional aquarists, octopuses have a reputation as highly individualistic animals that require frequent mental stimulation, often enjoy physical contact, and strongly prefer some humans over others, squirting water at one person playfully, while soaking another in what seems like a rebuke.

Her camera captured the curious cephalopod drawing closer and closer, its tentacles widening until it fully embraced her. “It was just crawling on my camera, crawling on my lips, giving me a hug. These huge tentacles were up over my face and mask,” Humphreys said.

Countries that eat the most octopus are Korea, Japan and Mediterranean countries where they are considered a delicacy.

But is the octopus truly alive at this point? Not really. Octopus limbs can't sprout new parts like a starfish can, and they decompose quickly. They are, however, full of neurons, which act in concert with the creature's brain and continue to fire after death.

Octopuses have demonstrated intelligence in a number of ways, says Jon. 'In experiments they've solved mazes and completed tricky tasks to get food rewards. They're also adept at getting themselves in and out of containers.' There are also intriguing anecdotes about octopuses' abilities and mischievous behaviour.

Is calamari a squid or octopus? ›

Many people think calamari dishes are made from octopus, when in fact calamari is actually made from a type of squid.

Giant Pacific octopus: 3 – 5 years

Octopus / Lifespan

The giant Pacific octopus, also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus Enteroctopus. Its spatial distribution includes the coastal North Pacific, along Mexico, The United States, Canada, Russia, Eastern China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.

Wikipedia

The meat is very white with a nice, firm texture. If prepared correctly, it is not tough or chewy, but actually quite tender. To me, they taste kind of “scallopy” and “crabby” at the same time, and can be served in cold dishes as well as hot preparations.