Posted on Mar 24, 2023
Newshour - Should the world's first octopus farm go ahead? - BBC Sounds
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A plan to build the world's first octopus farm has raised deep concerns among scientists over the welfare of the famously intelligent creatures.
The farm in Spain's Canary Islands would raise about a million octopuses annually for food, according to confidential documents seen by the BBC.
They have never been intensively farmed and some scientists call the proposed icy water slaughtering method "cruel." The Spanish multinational behind the plans denies the octopuses will suffer.
The confidential planning proposal documents from the company, Nueva Pescanova, were given to the BBC by the campaign organisation Eurogroup for Animals.
Nueva Pescanova sent the proposal to the Canary Islands' General Directorate of Fishing, which has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
Newshour's Razia Iqbal has been speaking to Dr Elena Lara, who has conducted a major study into octopuses and works for the group Compassion in Farming.
The farm in Spain's Canary Islands would raise about a million octopuses annually for food, according to confidential documents seen by the BBC.
They have never been intensively farmed and some scientists call the proposed icy water slaughtering method "cruel." The Spanish multinational behind the plans denies the octopuses will suffer.
The confidential planning proposal documents from the company, Nueva Pescanova, were given to the BBC by the campaign organisation Eurogroup for Animals.
Nueva Pescanova sent the proposal to the Canary Islands' General Directorate of Fishing, which has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
Newshour's Razia Iqbal has been speaking to Dr Elena Lara, who has conducted a major study into octopuses and works for the group Compassion in Farming.
Newshour - Should the world's first octopus farm go ahead? - BBC Sounds
Posted from bbc.co.uk
Food/Chow
Spain
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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The scientist does bring up some good points, but without hearing the other side...If they can be farmed ethically and humanely, go for it.
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There are areas of the world that now hunt or fish for Octopus as food, many people eat Squid though not as smart as an Octopus they have other simiarities. Actually farming them would I hope protect the wild creatures and prevent over-consumption leading to extinction.
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One point made which is quite true is that Octopi are solitary, they do not congregate in groups. To stuff them into pens is totally contrary to their nature. It would be like taking an independent, solitary mountain man and moving him into a studio apartment in NYC with 40 other people. Mayhem would ensue. I will admit that while in the Navy we dove and caught octopi, brought them up and ate them. I still like it, not convinced that this commercial farming is a good idea.
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