- Proponents of octopus farming claim it can reduce fishing pressure on wild octopus populations by supplying the seafood industry, and even suggest that these efforts could contribute to restocking wild populations in the future.
- In reality, they have a poor feed conversion rate, requiring a large amount of wild-caught marine protein to produce a relatively small amount of octopus, which risks exacerbating, rather than easing, pressure on wild fish populations and marine ecosystems that depend on them, the author of a new op-ed argues.
- “Octopus farming is a dead end masquerading as a solution. It does not address the root causes of wild population declines — it compounds them. The global community must resist the temptation to exploit another wild species under the guise of sustainability,” the author writes.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Octopus populations across the globe are facing mounting pressures from overfishing, habitat loss and environmental change. In response, an unsubstantiated and misguided proposal has been introduced: farming octopuses in captivity to alleviate wild harvests. In fact, some recently proposed controversial plans claim that closed-cycle octopus farming initiatives aim to reduce fishing pressure on wild octopus populations by supplying the market through aquaculture, and even go so far as to suggest that these efforts could contribute to restocking wild populations in the future.
But beneath the surface of this seemingly logical solution lies a cascade of ecological and ethical concerns demonstrating that industrialized octopus farming would harm both wild octopus populations and the broader environment. Drawing lessons from other forms of previously established industrial aquaculture practices, experts warn that farming octopuses is not only unsustainable — it could accelerate the very collapse it aims to prevent.
Farming carnivores actually intensifies overfishing
Octopuses are obligate carnivores, meaning they require a diet based on other marine animals, primarily fish. Farming them demands enormous amounts of wild-caught fish to produce feed, a practice that directly undermines marine biodiversity and resilience. Industrial salmon farming also follows this model and has repeatedly shown how feed demand can devastate forage fish populations — as well as the species that rely on them.
Octopuses also have one of the worst feed conversion rates, requiring protein-rich feed made from wild-caught fish, with estimates suggesting that up to 3 kilograms of marine animals are needed to produce just 1 kilogram of farmed octopus. This inefficient feed conversion rate reflects the ecological shortcomings seen across other forms of industrial aquaculture, exacerbating, rather than easing, pressure on wild fish populations.
And market growth could backfire: Aquaculture doesn’t just meet demand — it often expands it. The introduction of farmed octopus to global markets could make octopus more affordable and accessible, increasing consumer interest and, counterintuitively, driving up demand for wild-caught octopus. Similar trends have already played out in salmon, shrimp and eel farming, where aquaculture has fueled, not replaced, wild capture, leading to intensified pressure on wild populations and ecosystems.
And there are genetic and pathogen spillover risks: No effective biosecurity protocols exist for farmed, intensively confined cephalopods. In high-density farm environments, the potential for pathogen outbreaks grows exponentially. Escaped animals also pose risks of genetic pollution, weakening the adaptive capacity of wild octopus populations. Lessons from shrimp and salmon farming, where diseases like ISA (infectious salmon anemia) and EMS (early mortality syndrome) have ravaged farms and wild populations alike, should serve as red flags.
Octopus farming also poses environmental risks, whether conducted on land or at sea, as both approaches represent a net loss for ocean health and biodiversity. Land-based facilities can discharge nutrient-rich effluents that threaten surrounding ecosystems, while ocean-based operations risk destroying fragile marine habitats. Octopus farms, particularly if located in shallow coastal waters, could lead to the degradation of sensitive marine ecosystems such as seagrass beds, coral reefs and nursery grounds. These habitats are crucial not only for octopuses but for a wide array of marine life, and their destruction further undermines ecosystem stability.
Repeat of the salmon farming tragedy?
Once hailed as a sustainable fix to the depletion of wild fish populations, industrial salmon farming has evolved into a cautionary example of ecological disruption and systemic failure. The industry has been marked by widespread disease outbreaks, mass mortalities, the overuse of antibiotics and chemical treatments, parasitic infestations such as sea lice, and the genetic contamination of wild populations through escapes. Rather than alleviating pressure on marine ecosystems, salmon aquaculture has introduced a host of new environmental challenges while failing to deliver on its early promises.
Attempting to replicate this model with octopuses — solitary, cognitively complex and highly sensitive animals — raises even graver concerns. Octopuses do not thrive in crowded environments; they exhibit advanced problem-solving skills, demonstrate individual personalities, and show strong behavioral indicators of pain and distress. In the absence of any binding welfare standards for cephalopods in aquaculture, efforts to confine them at scale would likely result in severe and chronic stress, aggression, cannibalism and self-mutilation. Farming such sentient beings under conditions that ignore their biological and psychological needs is not only ethically indefensible but ecologically irresponsible.
The risks of proceeding down this path are not theoretical. In Chile, one of the leading producers of farmed salmon, a massive algal bloom in 2016, fueled in part by nutrient pollution from aquaculture, led to the deaths of more than 23 million salmon, devastating local ecosystems and communities. In Norway, ongoing sea lice infestations have necessitated chemical treatments that have bred resistance in parasites, posing a growing threat to both aquaculture and wild fish populations. In British Columbia, Canada, disease transmission and escapes from open-net pens have contributed to the collapse of endangered wild salmon runs, prompting the government to begin phasing out this farming method.
Octopus farming is a dead end masquerading as a solution. It does not address the root causes of wild population declines — it compounds them. The global community must resist the temptation to exploit another wild species under the guise of sustainability.
Encouragingly, momentum is building: some states in the U.S. have already passed legislation to ban octopus farming, and countries worldwide are working on legislation to stop this practice before it begins. In March 2024, Washington became the first state to enact a ban on commercial octopus farming, citing substantial concerns around animal welfare. By October, California followed with the OCTO Act, banning both the farming and sale of farmed octopus within the state. Other states — New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawai’i, Oregon and North Carolina — have since introduced similar legislation, reflecting a rapidly growing consensus that octopus farming poses unacceptable ecological and ethical risks. In June 2025, the bipartisan OCTOPUS Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate to establish a federal prohibition on octopus aquaculture and restrict the import of farm-raised octopus products.
Rather than replicate the failures of industrial aquaculture, we need bold investment in ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine protected areas, and culturally informed, low-impact fishing practices. Octopuses are keystone species in many marine ecosystems, and their future depends on protecting their natural habitats — not replicating the failures of industrial aquaculture.
Giulia Malerbi earned a degree in animal breeding from the University of Pisa, Italy, and an M.Sc. in animal welfare science, ethics and law from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Jane Goodall was a tireless advocate for animals, biodiversity and humanity, and discussed these topics with Mongabay’s CEO in 2024, listen here:
See related coverage:
Octopus farming unsustainable, unethical, and unnecessary, scientists warn
Salmon farms under fire on U.S. East Coast after being shuttered on West Coast
Our responsibility for cetacean conservation grows with proof of their intelligence (commentary)
Citations:
Jacquet, J., Franks, B., Godfrey-Smith, P., Sanchez-Suarez, W., Abrams, P., Ainley, D., … York, R. (2024). Support US OCTOPUS Act to keep octopuses wild. Science, 385(6710), 721-722. doi:10.1126/science.adr3813
Roberts, S., Jacquet, J., Majluf, P., & Hayek, M. N. (2024). Feeding global aquaculture. Science Advances, 10(42). doi:10.1126/sciadv.adn9698
Singh, G. G., Sajid, Z., & Mather, C. (2024). Quantitative analysis of mass mortality events in salmon aquaculture shows increasing scale of fish loss events around the world. Scientific Reports, 14(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54033-9
Budelmann, B. U. (1998). Autophagy in Octopus. South African Journal of Marine Science, 20(1), 101-108. doi:10.2989/025776198784126502
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