Octopus aquaculture is being developed globally. Given their cognitive sophistication, the welfare implications of farming octopus demand urgent attention.
The development of commercial octopus aquaculture raises profound welfare concerns for animals with well-documented cognitive sophistication. Octopuses are solitary, territorial, and highly stimulus-dependent. Farming them in high-density, impoverished conditions would likely cause significant suffering. The scientific community has raised serious concerns that regulatory frameworks and welfare standards for octopus aquaculture have not been developed before commercial operations are established — a troubling reversal of the precautionary principle.