A bill to ban octopus and tuna farming in Italy is being
tabled, as political and public pressure mounts on the
European Commission to introduce an EU-wide ban to stop the
industry before it starts, this World Octopus Day (8
October).
Italian MP Devis Dori (Alleanza Verdi e
Sinistra) will present a bill that seeks to ban octopus and
tuna farming in Italy on 13 October. The proposal – which
will be unveiled during a press conference at the Chamber of
Deputies in Italian Parliament – will focus on the
protection of the Mediterranean Sea and the concerns related
to the expansion of carnivorous aquaculture.
The move
coincides with efforts by MEPs and NGOs to persuade the
European Commission to introduce an EU-wide ban. Today, 35
Members of the European Parliament have written directly to
Commissioner Costas Kadis, the commissioner for fisheries
and oceans, calling for an EU-wide ban. And a letter
coordinated by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), signed by
over 160 NGOs and scientists was delivered to the European
Commission calling for urgent action to stop the expansion
of carnivorous aquaculture and to ban octopus farming across
the bloc.
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As part of the coordinated action, petitions
were also delivered in France and the Netherlands. In
France, campaigners handed in a petition with over 102,000
signatures to the cabinet of the Minister Delegate for the
Sea and Fisheries. It was calling for a ban on octopus
farming at European level and a moratorium in France to
prevent the start of any future project; to stop the
expansion of aquaculture to new carnivorous species; and to
reduce the use of wild fish in aquaculture
feed.
Street artist Kraken, known for his massive
octopuses painted on the walls of Paris, will stage a unique
artistic event organized by CIWF France. He will unveil a
monumental work on an XXL canvas bearing a powerful message:
“Keep Them Wild.” Displayed on a barge in the heart of
Paris, this creation will serve as the backdrop for speeches
by scientists and policymakers calling on Europe to take
action before this industry takes hold.
In the
Netherlands a petition urging the Spanish Government to ban
octopus farming with over 12,000 signatures has been handed
to the Spanish Embassy.
In July, Spanish seafood
company Nueva Pescanova abandoned plans for the world’s
first commercial octopus farm in Gran Canaria, following a
5-year campaign by Compassion in World Farming, other NGOs,
campaigners and scientists.
Research
published last year by the NGO found that Nueva
Pescanova’s proposed farm would have required around
28,000 tonnes of wild-caught fish in its first year to
produce only 3,000 tonnes of octopus meat. As these animals
are carnivorous, farming them would not only be a disaster
for their welfare, but it would also depend on large
quantities of wild-caught fish for feed, adding further
pressure to our already overexploited oceans.
The NGO
is now urging the European Commission to act and ensure
lasting political safeguards to prevent octopus farming from
becoming the next frontier of factory
farming.
Charlotte Reid, Deputy Director of
Global Campaigns Policy & Advocacy at Compassion in
World Farming said:
“Octopuses are
naturally solitary, intelligent, wild animals. They are not
products to be confined in underwater factory
farms.
“The collapse of Nueva Pescanova’s
plans in Gran Canaria shows that public opposition and
action can make a difference to stopping animal
cruelty
“Pressure is intensifying across
Europe to stop this cruel and unnecessary industry from
taking hold. The proposals for national legislation in Italy
are a welcome and important step, and momentum is building
for the European Commission to show similar leadership,
listen to the scientists, campaigners, citizens and
politicians calling for a ban, and to act
now.”
Notes:
Compassion in World Farming
was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became
horrified at the development of intensive factory farming.
Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare
organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and
achieving humane and sustainable food production. With
headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in
the US, China and South
Africa.
