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Is Octopus Farming Ethical?

From Jennifer Mishler, SentientMedia.org
October 2023

Octopuses have a feed conversion rate of 3:1, which means that producing octopus meat requires three times that amount of food. Their diet will likely be made up of wild fish from stocks that are already depleted.

Octopus

The global octopus trade is worth over $2.7 billion. Since 2020, these particular cephalopods have increasingly become the subjects of laboratory research and a new draw for tourists.

In the Canary Islands, the multinational seafood company Nueva Pescanova plans to construct a facility to raise and slaughter as many as 1 million of these creatures each year for human consumption. But in light of the growing body of evidence suggesting these marine invertebrates are highly intelligent, more people are asking — can octopus farming ever be ethical?
How Are Octopuses Farmed?

Octopuses are consumed around the world. They are especially popular in European nations, including Spain and Italy, but are also imported by the United States, as demand is projected to grow throughout North America. China is the world’s largest producer.

Research into octopus behavior has been steadily growing, with scientists gathering more evidence about their intelligence and capacity for suffering, as well as the complex lives they live in their natural environments. As a result, many animal experts have concluded that farming octopuses would be an inhumane practice.

Topics include:

  • How Are Octopuses Farmed?
  • Are Octopuses Farmed for Food?
  • Where Are Octopus Farms Located?
  • Why Are Octopus Farms Controversial?
  • Is Octopus Farming Ethical?
  • Why Is Octopus Farming Bad for the Environment?
  • Wild Fish Population
  • Marine Ecosystems
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Local Aquatic Animals
  • What is the Case Against Octopus Farming?

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

 

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