Giant octopuses have appeared on billboards overnight,
with a key message: Ban Octopus Factory Farming.
The
billboards come after advocacy charity Animals Aotearoa
wrote to every New Zealand political party, requesting that
they include a commitment to prohibit commercial octopus
farming in their policy platforms for the upcoming election.
The letter, cosigned by the Aquatic Animal Alliance
coalition of 177 organisations across 75 countries –
including NZ-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.
“Octopus factory farming is a bad investment
in every sense,” says 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.”
Steve Abel of The
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand responded positively to
the call to ban octopus farming, “We are concerned about
efforts to introduce octopus farming to Aotearoa and support
prohibiting octopus farming before this harmful practice can
be established”, adding, “Octopus are extraordinary
species and farming them is totally unacceptable”. 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.”
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“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
recognizing 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.”
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.
“We showed the octopus
reaching out to show how often they’ve sought to connect
with people,” Macdonald explains. “We also wanted to
highlight that octopuses are escape artists of the highest
calibre. These animals can fit through the tiniest of gaps,
the size of their beak. But they need our help to escape a
future in factory farms.”
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 7,770 petition
signatures so far. New Zealanders are making clear they want
their country at the forefront of this progress”, says
Macdonald.
The campaign reflects a growing global
movement. Washington State and California have already
banned octopus farming. Legislation has been introduced in
Mexico and Chile.
The petition is being officially
launched at an event in Wellington, next Tuesday, 28 July.
Sign at
www.animalsaotearoa.org/stop-octopus-farming/
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.
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, nonprofits, academic institutions, industry
stakeholders, governments, and the public to improve the
welfare of aquatic
animals.
Notes:
- Photos of
billboards in Wellington. - Aquatic Animal Alliance
letter to political parties requesting they include a
commitment to prohibit commercial octopus farming in their
policy platform for the upcoming New Zealand general
election. - Specially commissioned animation showing
the bleak prospect of octopus factory
farming - Petition to ban octopus
farming - Washington State and California have already
banned octopus farming; seven more U.S. states are pursuing
legislation against octopus farming, including Hawaii and
New York, together with Mexico and
Chile. - Information about octopus farming
- The
petition is being officially launched at an event in
Wellington on Tuesday, 28th
July.
