TOPSHOT – A day octopus, also known as the big blue octopus, found in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, is seen at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California on May 27, 2021, during a media preview of the indoor exhibition “Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities”. – “Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities” opens to the public on May 28, 2021 through April 2022, spotlighting the importance of coral reefs to the planet and marine environment. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday signed a bill into law to ban the farming of octopuses and farmed octopus sales.
Under AB 3162, also known as the California Oppose Cruelty to Octopuses (OCTO) Act, authored by Assemblymember Steve Bennett whose 38th District includes Oxnard, Ventura and the Channel Islands, it is illegal for anyone to engage in the aquaculture of octopuses meant for human consumption.
The new law also bans business owners or operators from knowingly selling octopuses that came from octopus farms.
Although octopuses may not be part of an average Californian’s meal plans, those who support AB 3162 argue that as the popularity of the sea animals for human consumption exploded in the last 50 years, there is also a growing interest in developing octopus aquaculture.
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The new law to ban octopus farming was initially proposed based on two reasons: Cruelty against octopuses, which are known to have a high level of cognitive ability, and environmental concerns.
“Octopuses are among the most intelligent, complex life on Earth. Farming them is not only inhumane but poses significant environmental risks,” Assemblymember Laura Friedman, who sponsored the bill, said to an animal advocacy group. “Rather than turning to unproven ‘farming’ methods to raise and slaughter octopuses, we should be protecting our marine ecosystem to better enable marine species to rebound.”
There is no known large-scale octopus farming and harvesting in California, but the law would take a proactive step in promoting animal welfare, allowing California to become the second state in the U.S. to ban the aquaculture of octopuses, supporters said.
Octopus farming also poses environmental consequences, the bill's author said, because aquaculture facilities pose a risk of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, which could lead to pollution and potential algal blooms, which could be devastating to California’s marine ecosystems.
The new law still allows the fishing of octopuses with a permit in state waters as long as the daily limit does not exceed 35 octopuses.
While there were no opponents to the bill, a number of environmental groups supported the bill.
The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
