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While corporations are researching how to factory farm octopuses, the industry thankfully hasn't taken hold in the U.S., and growing awareness about this issue has led to major opposition.

Now, Massachusetts lawmakers are considering legislation (H 4422) that would ban octopus farming in the state. Urge representatives to pass this bill!

Octopuses are incredibly intelligent, solitary carnivores. Farming them would have devastating consequences for these incredible animals, who would be housed in inappropriate conditions and killed under inhumane conditions.

This industry also poses a serious threat to the environment through pollution, the risk of spreading diseases, and the need to kill even more aquatic species to feed octopuses.

The legislation under consideration would ban the aquaculture of any species of octopus for human consumption.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Support H 4422 to Ban Octopus Farming in Massachusetts

As someone concerned with animal welfare, I’m writing to urge you to pass H 4422, which would ban octopus farming in Massachusetts. 
 
While commercial octopus farming hasn’t taken hold in the U.S., you now have the opportunity to ensure it can’t start in your state, and you should take it for multiple reasons.
 
Research continues to highlight the incredible intelligence of these animals, who inspire our fascination, yet some consider octopus meat to be a delicacy, which has led to a push to further exploit them by farming them on a large scale. This issue was brought to the center stage when Spanish company Nueva Pescanova announced plans for a commercial octopus farm in the Canary Islands in 2021.
 
Opposition from a range of stakeholders drew increased scrutiny of this issue, and highlighted numerous reasons octopus farming shouldn’t be allowed. Aside from their complex cognitive abilities, whose enrichment needs would not be met in an aquaculture setting, octopuses are nocturnal and solitary animals who would be housed together under near-constant lighting.
 
Major concerns have also been raised about how they would be killed. There are a number of ways wild-caught octopuses are killed, but farmed octopuses would likely be subjected to ice water submersion, which would be a slow and painful death.
 
In 2021, a review of 300 studies conducted by the London School of Economics found that “there is no slaughter method for cephalopods that is both humane and commercially viable on a large scale” and that “high-welfare octopus farming is impossible.”
 
Octopuses are also carnivorous and would require a massive amount of food, and farming them poses the threat of increased pollution and the spread of diseases.  
 
Concerns about these issues led Washington and California to ban octopus farming in 2024, while similar legislation is being considered in a number of other states and Congress.
 
The legislation proposed in Massachusetts would preemptively ban octopus farming in the state, ensuring no one can sell any products made from farmed octopuses for human consumption.
 
I sincerely urge you to take a stand against the commercial exploitation of octopuses and pass this legislation. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.