In a bold move back in 2019, Spanish seafood trailblazers, Nueva Pescanova, threw down the gauntlet with plans to pioneer the world’s inaugural octopus farm in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Fast forward to World Octopus Day 2023, and the stage is set for a riveting update on the unfolding saga, rife with opposition from scientists, animal advocates, environmental warriors, and a chorus of concerned citizens.
Our collaborative exposé, “Uncovering the Horrific Reality of Octopus Farming,” penned in partnership with Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), sent shockwaves through global media outlets. The plot thickens in our latest video, offering an inside look at persistent welfare and environmental concerns surrounding octopus farming. We also navigate the tumultuous seas of current farm establishment applications, revealing avenues for public support to thwart this aquatic endeavor.
Thanks to a symphony of media coverage, impassioned online petitions, and global protests, the issue remains a hot topic. But the battlefront extends beyond the court of public opinion.
On the regional front, the Canary Islands government, attuned to environmental impact concerns, has upped the ante with a more stringent evaluation process. This twist of fate compels Nueva Pescanova to reset the clock after a two-year wait for the coveted green light.
Zoom out to the EU, where a cadre of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) takes center stage, raising their voices in dissent. A parliamentary question echoes through the chambers of the European Commission, and a joint letter sets sail to the Canary Islands government.
Internationally, the tides are turning against octopus farms. Washington state pitches a bill to outlaw them, the UK bestows sentient status upon octopuses, Hawaiian authorities shutter the Kanaloa octopus research farm, and a Canadian petition seeks to ban octopus farming.
In a twist that resonates across the oceans, seafood certification luminaries RSPCA and Friend of the Sea boldly declare their refusal to endorse any farmed octopus products.
Yet, the saga persists. On the grand stage of World Octopus Day 2023, CIWF, spearheading a coalition of 75 NGOs and global experts, unfurls a joint letter, beseeching the Canary Islands Government to quash plans for the world’s first octopus farm. The battle cry echoes: Let octopus farming be but a fleeting dream, washed away by the tide of conscientious objection.