Amidst significant controversy, seafood company Nueva Pescanova aims to build the world’s first octopus factory farm. It hit an obstacle in 2023, when the government of the Canary Islands rejected the company’s initial farm proposal. Upon reviewing Nueva Pescanova’s proposal and the Canary Islands’ assessment, Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming produced a report analyzing the reasons behind this decision. They found that Nueva Pescanova had failed to adequately address its significant risks to the environment, including pollution and unsustainable resource needs.

High Potential For Pollution

The report authors claim that Nueva Pescanova did not provide a comprehensive plan for managing its pollution. For example, wastewater from the plant will be discharged into a nearby port, worsening the existing pollution issue and potentially leading to a buildup of toxic algae. This water may include organic waste, food scraps, chemical agents, and more. Even if the wastewater is filtered before release, residual chemicals and bacteria could linger and harm the local marine environment. According to the authors, Nueva Pescanova was unacceptably vague about its chemical usage, making it difficult to fully assess the pollution risk. 

Despite the scale of their aquaculture operation, Nueva Pescanova’s farm is entirely land-based, with the octopuses housed in tanks. As such, the surrounding terrestrial environment would be vulnerable to sensory pollutants, like excess light, noise, and bad odors. Light pollution in particular is regulated by the Canary Islands, yet Nueva Pescanova’s proposal did not acknowledge any mitigation measures. 

The proposed farm would also create pollution beyond the local scale. Massive energy consumption is required to maintain such a large population of octopuses in land-based tanks. According to the report, these high energy needs would produce about 4.6 kilotons of greenhouse gasses each year. The Canary Islands determined that Nueva Pescanova did not have a sufficient plan to address these emissions.

Public Health Risk

In addition to creating land pollution, the farm is vulnerable to water pollution, which threatens consumer health. According to the report authors, Nueva Pescanova identified no plans to analyze the quality and safety of its seawater. If untreated seawater is used to house the octopuses, pollutants and disease vectors in the water could accumulate in the octopuses’ flesh and be passed on to consumers. Furthermore, the farm’s exceptionally crowded conditions, which would see up to fifteen octopuses per cubic meter of tank, are likely to produce diseased and unhealthy animals. According to the report, Nueva Pescanova’s failure to acknowledge these health concerns earned an unfavorable rating from the Canary Islands’ Directorate of Public Health.

This oversight is especially concerning given the farm’s proximity to a polluted port. Due to poor water quality, marine-based aquaculture is prohibited within a kilometer of the port. Although the proposed octopus farm is on land, this legislation raises doubts about the legality of having any type of aquaculture facility within the prohibited margin.

Harm To Ecosystems

Nueva Pescanova’s farm would have risks beyond pollution. The farm’s location near La Isleta, a protected marine environment, raises concerns about the plant’s impact on the surrounding waters. This marine area provides a safe haven for unique habitats and endangered species, yet the company did not address its possible disruption of this important ecosystem.

The seawater intake tower is especially problematic, since its construction may disturb the important seafloor organisms that support the health of the ecosystem. The tower also represents a likely source of underwater noise pollution, which would be especially harmful for the whales and dolphins of La Isleta. Despite E.U.-wide legislation protecting these animals, Nueva Pescanova ignores them in its environmental impact assessment.

Takeaways

No matter the location, octopus farms are conceptually unsustainable due to their excessive use of natural resources. Worldwide, fishing harms ecosystems and threatens the lifestyle of underserved communities. Farming marine carnivores like octopuses only adds to this strain. The report notes that Nueva Pescanova did not provide sufficient detail about the sourcing and quantity of this feed, making it unclear whether they have considered the sustainability of their supply chain. 

Due to its significant environmental risks, Nueva Pescanova must now endure a more rigorous assessment process before its farm can be approved. Yet the report shows that, in many ways, the proposal’s flaws are inherent to octopus farming, not specific to one company. Although Nueva Pescanova may still pass its second assessment, widespread concern about the ethics and sustainability of octopus farming has prompted some promising legislation. Several states in the U.S. have sought to ban the production or consumption of farmed octopus. By spreading awareness and voicing disapproval, concerned citizens and animal advocates alike can encourage their legislators to follow suit and prevent this industry from ever gaining traction.