Scientists Have Warned That We Absolutely Must Not Farm Octopuses

[Judi Lynn]

MICHELLE STARR 29 DEC 2019

There's no denying that keeping livestock has deeply benefited humanity over the millennia. But, while sheep and cows may have adapted well to farm life, there's one animal humans like to eat that would fare poorly in farms.

Octopuses, scientists have argued in a May 2019 essay, should never be farmed - not just because of their intelligence, but because of the environmental impacts such farms would create.

It's already started. Global demand for octopus as a food is on the rise, which last year saw prices soaring amid poor supply.

The yield of octopuses fished in the wild is variable, which in turn contributes to an unreliable supply - hence attempts to farm octopuses have already commenced. In multiple countries around the world, efforts are underway to produce an octopus farm, including trials of genetic modifications to accelerate cephalopod aquaculture.

This, of course, would produce some known environmental impacts, a team of environmental scientists, philosophers and psychiatrists writes in a recent edition of Issues in Science and Technology.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-warned-that-we-absolutely-must-not-farm-octopuses

[KT2000]

2. As with fish farms

the damage done to the environment and the wild stocks takes second place to the investors who see a gold mine. Shrimp farms destroy mangrove wetlands, salmon farms fail and infect the wild salmon, geoduck farms trap birds, etc. More of all of these are planned.

[Javaman]

3. I love seafood. and about 5 years ago...

I stopped eating Octopus, due to it's high intelligence. Now I have another reason.

[hunter]

4. There's a lot I don't eat anymore.

I'm still feeling a little bad about serving store-bought bacon for Christmas breakfast but about half the people in my family are still carnivores and they didn't happen to bring any pigs they'd killed themselves with them this year.

When I was growing up our family freezer was always full of fish and other animals not purchased at the supermarket. Our primary source of animal protein was fish my dad caught.

These days I'm mostly vegetarian.

My wife is mostly vegan.

There's no good reason for "factory farm" meat of any kind, and lots of bad reasons.