Hide table of contents

Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) has just released the 2024 Progress Report on the Octopus Farming Ban Campaign, highlighting major strides in the global effort to stop octopus farming before it starts. Through advocacy, collaboration, research, policymaker support, and public outreach, ALI and its partners are working to ensure that these intelligent, solitary animals are never subjected to the inhumane conditions of intensive farming.
 

Key Wins from 2024

 

  • Landmark Legislation: Washington and California became the first states in the world to ban octopus farming. ALI played a crucial role by providing scientific evidence, written and in-person testimony, and advocacy support, ensuring the passage of these historic laws.

 

  • Shifting Industry Standards: Four major seafood certifiers, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), RSPCA Assured­, Friend of the Sea and Soil Association, stated that they do not plan to certify octopus farms in the near future, a move that reinforces the industry's growing recognition that farming octopuses humanely is not possible.

 

  • New Bills in Progress: A US federal bipartisan bill to ban octopus farming and the import of farmed octopus products nationwide was introduced by Senators Whitehouse and Murkowski, and in New Jersey, Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese introduced bill A5078 to ban commercial octopus farming. 

 

  • Corporate Accountability: Plans for the controversial Nueva Pescanova octopus farm in Spain are now stalled, thanks to collaborative advocacy for stricter environmental impact assessments and pressure on key stakeholders.

 

Why Ban Octopus Farming?


Octopus farming poses serious ethical, environmental, and ecological risks. Octopuses are solitary, highly intelligent animals with complex nervous systems, making them particularly vulnerable to the stresses of captivity. ALI's report, Why Cephalopod Farming Must be Rejected Before it Starts, highlights that no humane slaughter methods exist for octopuses, and large-scale farming would lead to environmental pollution through the introduction of contaminants like fertilizers, algaecides, herbicides, and disinfectants, and through the production of nitrogen and phosphorus waste. Further, farm escapes could introduce diseases to wild populations, further endangering aquatic biodiversity.
 

The Path Forward


This work aligns with ALI’s "4R Approach to Seafood System Reform" “Reject” principle, which opposes practices that add more animals to the seafood system and increase suffering. ALI will continue pushing for legislative protections, corporate and industry commitments in 2025 and beyond.

 

We extend our gratitude to the organizations that we collaborated with this year, including Animal Rights Initiative, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Social Compassion in Legislation, Pasado’s Safe Haven, Mercy For Animals, Anima Naturalis, Fundacion Veg, and many others for their work in advancing octopus protections.

2

0
0

Reactions

0
0
Comments


No comments on this post yet.
Be the first to respond.
Curated and popular this week
 · 2d ago · 1m read
 · 
We’re thrilled to share a victory for animals and truth in advertising! Thanks to Animal Outlook’s lawsuit, filed with the incredible support of Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC), the nearly 100-year-old DC butcher shop, Harvey’s Market, has agreed to stop selling foie gras forever. The case, filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court, challenged Harvey’s Market’s alleged deceptive advertising practices related to foie gras. The lawsuit alleged that Harvey’s Market falsely promoted foie gras as “HUMANELY RAISED STOCK” and “FREE RANGE,” among other allegedly misleading claims. These statements were displayed inside Harvey’s Market in a manner that suggested they applied to every product in the meat case, including foie gras. AO and LIC argued that animals subjected to gavage (force-feeding) to produce foie gras can never be “humanely raised,” and that animals raised entirely indoors without outdoor access cannot be considered “free range.” Thanks to the efforts of LIC’s amazing legal team—Kathryn Evans and Alene Anello—we were able to send the message that deceptive claims about animal welfare will not go unchallenged. As part of the case, LIC sourced a unique poll of DC consumers to show 75% believe “humane raised stock” to be an inaccurate description of the birds used to make foie gras. A further 80% said they would not consider such birds to be “free range”. And when shown an image of the meat case from Harvey’s Market approximately 65% said they thought the signage applied to all products in the case, including the foie gras.  While Harvey’s Market did not admit liability, Animal Outlook voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit on July 1, 2025, following the confidential settlement agreement.    
 · 6h ago · 1m read
 · 
Today marks a historic win for animal advocacy in Brazil, thanks to the combined efforts of Humane World for Animals, Te Protejo, , Fórum Animal and Change.org .  On July 9, 2025, Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies approved the Senate substitute for PL 6602/13 (now PL 3062/22), banning federal animal testing for cosmetics, personal hygiene products, and perfumes. Why this is huge: •⁠  ⁠1.6 million+ signatures delivered a powerful public mandate. •⁠  ⁠A decade in the making—originally filed in 2013, it finally broke its long legislative stalemate. •⁠  ⁠Brazil moves closer to becoming the world’s 45th country to outlaw cosmetic animal testing, sparing millions of animals from suffering. Besides us, the project had the support of many activists and other organizations and institutions such as the Department of Animal Protection that was created within the Ministry of the Environment in Brazil. Next steps: The bill goes to presidential signature. After enactment and a 60-day vacatio legis, ANVISA and other agencies will have up to two years to implement alternative testing methods and enforce the law. This breakthrough proves what we can achieve when we unite. Let’s keep up the momentum—share this news, raise your voice, and push for a cruelty-free future!