Commercial octopus farming and farmed-raised octopus meat imports would be banned under bipartisan legislation from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Lisa Murkowski.
The Rhode Island Democrat and the Alaska Republican characterized current octopus farming techniques as inhumane, noting scientific evidence showing they have cognitive abilities — such as learning from prior experiences — and are “capable of having feelings such as pain, pleasure, distress and excitement.”
“Octopuses are among the most intelligent creatures in the oceans. And they belong at sea, not suffering on a factory farm,” Whitehouse said in a statement. The bill “would preemptively prevent U.S. companies from participating in this brutal practice before it takes root.”
The “Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies (OCTOPUS) Act” would prohibit commercial octopus aquaculture operations and require U.S. firms to certify they are not importing farmed octopus. Companies that violate the law would face fines.
