Nueva Pescanova, a Spanish seafood group, has cancelled plans for the world's first octopus "megafarm" in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, following years of opposition from scientists and animal welfare groups.
The company had proposed building a 31,000-square-metre facility that, at full capacity, would have slaughtered 3,000 tonnes of octopus a year, equivalent to more than one million animals.
Nueva Pescanova withdrew its planning application to the Port Authority of Las Palmas, ending the project. In a statement, the Port Authority said the company blamed the failure on a "significant extension of administrative deadlines" and cited uncertainty over the "completion of environmental and sectoral procedures."
From lab breakthrough to megafarm plans
The global octopus market is estimated to be worth £2.2 billion. Until recently there was no way to reproduce the animal's full life cycle in captivity.
That changed in 2019, when Nueva Pescanova and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Vigo announced they had found a way to raise octopus entirely in tanks. In 2021, the company filed an application with the Port Authority of Las Palmas to begin building the octopus farm.
According to plans uncovered by the campaign group Eurogroup for Animals, the company expected that 10 to 15 per cent of the octopus would die before reaching full growth. The animals, which are naturally solitary and used to the dark, would have been kept under constant bright lights and crammed in at densities of up to 15 animals per cubic metre.
The octopus were to be killed by being plunged into a tank of ice held at minus 3C, a method studies have shown causes a slow, painful death.
Sentience concerns
Octopus are widely considered sentient, with studies suggesting they are capable of feeling pain, pleasure, excitement and fear. One 2022 study found that octopus avoid painful situations and try to remedy pain, suggesting they register pain as a negative experience rather than simply reacting by reflex. Some research has also proposed that octopus have distinct personalities. In 2022, the UK enshrined octopus's sentient status into law.
Dr Elena Lara, Senior Research and Policy Advisor at Compassion in World Farming, told the Daily Mail: "Octopuses are complex, intelligent, and sentient animals. As naturally solitary animals, octopuses would not fare well in the crowded conditions and high stocking densities that are typical of factory farm systems. Octopuses are also known for their extraordinary intelligence, and as a result of their natural inquisitiveness and tendency to explore, manipulate and control their environment, they would be easily susceptible to boredom in captivity."
Environmental warnings
Scientists also raised concerns about the proposed farm's environmental impact. Reports estimated the farm would require 2.1 billion wild-caught fish to feed the octopus in its first year alone, with a significant impact on fish stocks already under pressure in the region.
In 2023, the Aquatic Life Institute issued a report warning that Nueva Pescanova was "prioritizing profits and polluting Las Palmas." Experts warned that waste and excess chemicals, including antibiotics used to prevent disease, would seep into the surrounding waters.
Separately, 130 members of the Aquatic Animal Alliance, including prominent scientists, wrote an open letter to the Canary Islands' environmental agency raising concerns about the proposal. The letter warned that the farm would cause "serious biophysical and biosecurity risks" that Nueva Pescanova had not taken steps to prevent.
Company denies ethical factors
Despite the opposition, Nueva Pescanova does not acknowledge that ethical or environmental considerations played a role in the decision to cancel the project. A spokesperson for the company told the Daily Mail they could "only confirm that we have cancelled the project in the Canary Islands."
The Las Palmas Port Authority said the decision "stems exclusively from business and regulatory considerations." The company said the decision "does not imply any acknowledgement regarding the potential future viability" of octopus farming in the Canary Islands or elsewhere.
Giulia Malerbi, Head of Global Policy at the Aquatic Life Institute, told the Daily Mail: "The withdrawal of Nueva Pescanova's project sends an important warning. After years of research, substantial investment and an extended regulatory process, the company was still unable to bring the proposed farm into operation. That demonstrates that farming octopuses at an industrial scale is neither straightforward nor low-risk."
