As proposals for commercial octopus farming emerge, animal welfare scientists are raising urgent concerns about the welfare of these extraordinarily intelligent animals.
Octopus farming raises acute welfare concerns that distinguish it from most aquaculture. These animals are obligate asocial creatures that cannot be kept in community tanks without cannibalism, requiring individual confinement — denying the environmental exploration they need for psychological health. Their intelligence means boredom and confinement are likely to cause significant suffering. Multiple welfare scientists have called for a moratorium on octopus farming pending research. The precautionary principle strongly argues against commercializing octopus farming given current knowledge.