At Beyond Animal Research (BAR), we are against the harmful use of animals in science. This includes the harmful use of animals in research, testing and reaching practices relating to the animal agriculture and aquacultural industries.

When it comes to farming animals, expanding or maintaining the industry inevitably leads to more animal research, not less. This applies to intensive farming and ‘higher welfare’ farming.  

Octopus farming

The octopus is now being drawn into the aquacultural research cycle, more and more, as researchers try to find farming methods that will work on this complex sentient being.  

At a time when humans are more aware of octopus sentience, as well as increasing public outrage against proposed octopus farming in countries around the world, the New Zealand Government has been actively investing in research to investigate how industry can make it possible.

Why is octopus farming so problematic?

Octopuses are naturally difficult to farm, and for good reason. Here are just five:  

• Octopus are solitary animals who do not tolerate close confinement.
• Octopus are known to be semelparous which means the female octopus reproduces only once. After laying eggs, the female typically dies. This presents commercially viable breeding problems for the industry.
• The survival rate of young octopuses in captivity is extremely low.
• Octopus eggs do not survive well in artificial conditions.
• Octopus are highly intelligent, sentient beings who evolved to roam vast ocean environments - not live in tanks, pens, or concrete systems.

In short, octopuses are not suited to captivity, let alone factory farming where animals are typically caged, crammed and confined.  

Octopus farming on any welfare level invariably involves raising them in tanks on land, controlling their entire lifecycle, including breeding and fattening. 

What’s happening in NZ?

In recent years, research has been conducted on how to breed octopuses in captivity, incubate their eggs without maternal care, improve the survival of hatchlings, and develop artificial food - including pellets - for young octopuses.  

NZ-based studies have also looked at how lighting, water temperature, and tank conditions affect their growth and behaviour. Much of this research has been publicly funded, with the aim of making octopus aquaculture potentially viable in Aotearoa.

For more detailed examples with references, see below.  

Funding into octopus farming in NZ

In 2022, the New Zealand Government’s Endeavour Fund (a major science investment programme) awarded NZ$1 million to a research project aimed at developing captive breeding and rearing methods for octopuses.  

A key goal of this project is to raise octopuses to 1.5 kg in under a year and create a “globally unique octopus aquaculture industry in New Zealand.”

But just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.

What we know about octopus intelligence

Globally, science has already shown that octopuses are extraordinary animals with advanced problem-solving and learning abilities. They use tools, have long-term memory, and display curiosity, creativity, and complex behaviours rarely seen in other invertebrates.

In 2021, the London School of Economics (LSE) reviewed the global scientific evidence on octopus sentience and concluded that high-welfare farming of octopuses is impossible. As solitary, sensitive animals, they do not adapt well to confinement. When confined in close quarters, they often show signs of stress, aggression, and even cannibalism.

BAR's position on octopus farming

BAR stands alongside local and international animal protection organisations who oppose the farming of octopuses. We also acknowledge Animals Aotearoa for their campaign mahi on octopus farming.  

BAR opposes any form of octopus farming - in Aotearoa or any other country.

In line with this, BAR encourages the New Zealand Government to:

1. Prohibit investments into octopus aquaculture research connected to New Zealand and/or overseas. ‍
2. Enforce a pre-emptive ban on octopus farming in Aotearoa.

Farming sentient beings like octopuses is a step in the wrong direction - for science, for ethics, and for compassion.

Let’s stop this before it starts.

If you would like to read more about the Horrific Reality of Octopus Farming, please consider this Report by Compassion in World Farming and Eurogroup for Animals to help stop a commercial farm in Spain's Canary Islands that intended to farm about a million octopus.

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‍Examples of research conducted in NZ related to octopus farming

1. What do young octopuses eat best? A look at prey size and feeding success

This study looked at what size and amount of food worked best for feeding young octopuses (paralarvae) in a hatchery. Researchers found that slightly larger brine shrimp were easier for the young octopuses to see and catch, helping them feed more successfully. The goal was to find better ways to raise octopus in a farming environment - something that’s currently very challenging, as many don’t survive long in captivity.  

2. Can young octopuses eat pellets? Testing size and shape

This study tested whether young octopuses (paralarvae) could catch and eat artificial food pellets as a cheaper alternative to live prey like shrimp larvae. The researchers found that smaller pellets were easier to grab, but most of the time the octopuses spat them out - probably because they didn’t taste right or were too hard to eat. It shows how tricky it is to create a pellet that young octopuses will actually eat in a farming environment.  

3. Improving juvenile mussel nutrition in the context of octopus farming

This study looked at how to make feeding young mussels more affordable. Mussels are commonly fed to farmed octopuses, and they’re usually fed live algae - which can be expensive. Researchers tested using concentrated microalgae instead and found that up to half of the live algae could be replaced without causing problems. This could make mussel farming cheaper in situations where they’re used to feed other animals like octopuses.  

4. The impact of hatching time and starvation on the growth of young octopuses

This study looked at what happens to young octopuses (paralarvae) when they don’t get food. Over five days without eating, they lost weight and body strength. The results show that young octopus need a high-protein diet to grow and stay healthy - especially in the first few days after they hatch.

5. What affects feeding success in young octopuses after hatching

This research examined factors that influence feeding success in newly hatched octopus paralarvae, including tank colour, pellet vs live food, and age at first feeding. Octopuses were more likely to attack pellets when they moved (like when first dropped into the tank), suggesting that movement cues might help trigger feeding in a farm setting.

7. How light affects young octopus behaviour
Octopus paralarvae are visual hunters - but does lighting matter? This study found that the young octopuses were drawn to blue, green, and white light, spending more time in well-lit areas. These findings could help aquaculture facilities optimise lighting to improve feeding and survival rates.

8. Speeding up the development of octopus with warmer water
This study showed that increasing water temperature during egg incubation significantly sped up the development of octopus embryos without harming them. This could allow hatcheries to produce young octopuses more quickly and consistently, making commercial farming more efficient.

9. Rearing eggs from octopus without the mother
Normally, mother octopuses care for their eggs, but this study tested artificial incubation using water flow and aeration. With the right setup, more than 90% of the eggs survived - even without maternal care. This method could reduce labour and costs in octopus farming.