MOMENTUM TO BAN COMMERCIAL OCTOPUS FARMING GROWS IN NEW ZEALAND

Political parties in New Zealand are making public statements in support of a commercial octopus farming prohibition ahead of the upcoming general election in November. These comments come following outreach from advocacy charity Animals Aotearoa, which wrote to each party requesting that they include a commitment to prohibit the controversial practice in their policy platforms. The letters, cosigned by the Aquatic Animal Alliance coalition of 177 organisations across 75 countries – including New Zealand-based SPCA and SAFE – points to scientific evidence that octopuses are highly sentient animals with advanced cognitive abilities. Also highlighted are the absence of validated welfare safeguards, lack of humane slaughter methods, and environmental concerns about farming carnivorous species dependent on animal protein.

Steve Abel of The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand responded positively to the call to ban octopus farming, statings;

“We are concerned about efforts to introduce octopus farming to Aotearoa and support prohibiting octopus farming before this harmful practice can be established”, and adding, “Octopus are extraordinary species and farming them is totally unacceptable”.

Rachel Boyack, New Zealand Labour Party, commented, “There is currently no commercial octopus farming in New Zealand, and Labour does not believe it is a practice that could be carried out humanely at scale. Labour would support measures to prevent it being established here.”

Karen Singleton, Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ, said:

“Progress isn’t measured by what we can commercialise, but by the wisdom to know who should be left in the ocean. We already ask billions of animals to pay the price of economic growth. We don’t need to add octopuses to that list.”

Animals Aotearoa is continuing outreach to additional political parties to encourage each to take leadership on this cross-party issue and include a prohibition on commercial octopus farming on their manifestos for the November election. The public support for this legislation is simultaneously growing, as more than 8,000 people have signed the petition so far, while calls for action increase across social media and billboards throughout Wellington invite national leadership on the issue.

“Octopus factory farming is a bad investment in every sense,” said Marianne Macdonald, Executive Director of Animals Aotearoa. “Octopuses are sentient wonders. With three hearts, blue blood, and minds that dream, they navigate their ocean world with intelligence that rivals our own. They solve puzzles, navigate elaborate mazes, use tools, recognise individual humans, and even decorate their dens with shells. These are creatures to be in awe of, not to exploit in sordid factory farms.”

Octopus aquaculture – a new form of intensive farming still in the research phase – would cause extensive harm. The New Zealand Government has already granted $1 million of public funds to the University of Auckland to advance this new form of exploitation. But because the octopus farming industry has not yet been established, there is a rare window of opportunity to prevent it from taking hold.

“New Zealand has a unique opportunity to prevent the suffering associated with octopus factory farming before this industry begins to operate,” said Catalina López Salazar, Director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance. “Around the world, governments are increasingly recognising that these highly intelligent, curious, and sentient animals cannot be raised humanely in intensive farming systems. By acting now, New Zealand can demonstrate global leadership in protecting animal welfare and set an example for other countries considering this emerging industry.”

A specially commissioned animation by Auckland-based artist Timothy Armstrong provides a glimpse of the risk octopus farming poses. Based on an industry research report, it features Octopus tetricus, the native octopus studied for exploitation in Aotearoa.

“In Aotearoa, the petition calling for a ban on octopus farming has gathered more than 8,000 petition signatures so far. New Zealanders are making clear they want their country at the forefront of this progress”, said Macdonald.

The campaign reflects a growing global movement of legislation worldwide that bans octopus farming and the sale of products from industrial octopus farms, including a federal bill in the United States that is underway, as well as laws in Washington state and California. Legislative proposals to ban octopus farming have also been introduced at the federal level and in more states such as Hawai’i, New Jersey, Oregon, New York, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and countries such as Chile, Spain, and Mexico.

About the Aquatic Animal Alliance

Founded by the Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), the Aquatic Animal Alliance is a coalition of more than 190 advocacy organisations across 75 countries dedicated to improving the welfare of aquatic animals within the global food system. ALI is an international non-profit organisation that works on advancing aquatic animal welfare in both aquaculture and wild capture fisheries globally. They work with certifiers, non-profits, academic institutions, industry stakeholders, governments, and the public to improve the welfare of aquatic animals.

About Animals Aotearoa

New Zealand’s Animals Aotearoa is a registered charity whose mission is to improve the well-being of farmed animals and end their suffering. They work to protect the welfare of aquatic animals, with a particular focus on preventing octopus factory farming. They also improve the lives of chickens bred for meat by securing welfare commitments from food businesses and raising public awareness of the suffering caused by the way chickens are bred and farmed.

Image: Pixabay