Octopus Farming Welfare: The Coming Industry Debate

Commercial octopus farming is being developed by several companies globally. The welfare implications of farming a solitary, highly intelligent cephalopod are deeply concerning.

Key Facts

Octopuses have nine brains — one central brain and one in each arm
They are the only invertebrates known to use tools in the wild
Octopuses are naturally solitary and highly territorial — they cannibalise conspecifics when crowded
Several companies including one in Spain are advancing commercial octopus farming
An estimated one to three billion octopuses are caught wild annually
Octopuses are listed as sentient animals requiring welfare consideration in the UK

Welfare Considerations

Octopus farming presents profound welfare challenges that experts argue may be insurmountable. Their solitary nature means crowding in farms would cause intense aggression and cannibalism, requiring isolation — which itself may cause severe stress in cognitively complex animals. Wild octopuses roam territories of hundreds of metres. There is currently no proven humane method to kill octopuses at scale. Their problem-solving ability and demonstrably complex inner lives make intensive captivity ethically comparable to keeping similarly intelligent vertebrates under analogous conditions. A 2022 report by the London School of Economics explicitly recommended against octopus farming on welfare grounds.

What You Can Do

Oppose commercial octopus farming operations until evidence-based welfare standards can be demonstrated
Support the London School of Economics recommendation against octopus farming
Write to retailers who have expressed interest in farmed octopus products expressing welfare concerns
Donate to research into octopus cognition and welfare to build the evidence base for policy