Commercial octopus farming is being developed in several countries, but scientists warn that the high cognitive complexity and solitary carnivore nature of octopuses makes farming fundamentally incompatible with their welfare.
Octopuses present an unprecedented welfare challenge for aquaculture. Their high intelligence and cognitive complexity mean their suffering from confinement is likely profound. They are naturally solitary and territorial animals that show extreme aggression toward conspecifics. Their complex sensory systems and behavioral repertoire cannot be expressed in farming conditions. They die after reproduction, making repeat production impossible. Evidence for pain and consciousness in cephalopods is strong, leading the UK to include them in animal sentience legislation. An international scientific campaign has urged governments to ban octopus farming before it becomes established. Humane slaughter methods have not been validated for octopuses.