Major progress has been made on the California Oppose Cruelty to Octopuses (OCTO) Act, a groundbreaking bill that will ban octopus farming and the sales of farmed octopus in California. On August 26th, the bill achieved a major milestone, passing the Senate with a unanimous 36-0 vote. The final step will be for Governor Newsom to sign it into law.
Back in April, Aquatic Life Institute's Tessa Gonzalez, and Animal Rights Initiative's Amanda Fox, delivered powerful in-person testimonies in support of this bill. Their efforts, combined with widespread support, led to the bill’s successful passage through the committee. Now, with this unanimous Senate vote, we are on the brink of another historic victory, as the bill is quickly on its way to become law. We also applaud co-sponsors of the bill, Animal Legal Defense Fund and Social Compassion in Legislation, for their tireless advocacy efforts.
Advocacy against octopus farming arises from serious concerns around animal welfare, as well as the environmental and public health risks associated with octopus farming. Given their solitary nature, carnivorous diets, and delicate physiology, octopuses are particularly ill-suited for captivity. The farming of octopuses exacerbates environmental damage through overfishing of wild prey species and pollution, while also posing public health risks by potentially introducing diseases and antibiotic resistance. As awareness of these issues grows globally, support for the movement is also increasing, strengthening our collective efforts to combat the harmful practice.
We are seeing major strides in the campaign to ban octopus farming, with notable developments in the United States. Last month, a federal bill to ban commercial octopus farming and the import and sale of commercially farmed octopus was introduced by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). This followed state-level efforts, including Washington’s HB 1153, signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee in March.