There are plans to launch the world’s first commercial octopus farm in Spain. This has raised global concern. Farming octopuses would cause immense cruelty to these intelligent wild animals and harm marine life. It also reflects the wider problems of carnivorous aquaculture, an unsustainable industry.
By pledging to Keep Them Wild, policymakers can protect animals, safeguard ecosystems, and lead the way to a sustainable, future-fit food system.
Octopus farming would result in serious animal suffering and significant environmental harm. No humane slaughter methods exist for octopuses, and the solitary, intelligent nature of these wild animals makes confinement in tanks both cruel and unworkable. Beyond these serious welfare concerns, the environmental consequences are equally severe. Farming octopuses would rely on fishmeal and fish oil made from wild-caught fish, as well as a large amount of live or frozen natural food such as crustaceans and fish, stripping the oceans of vital forage species that underpin marine food systems, and provide food security for millions of people. Therefore, legislation is needed to prevent the emergence of commercial octopus farming.
The expansion of aquaculture into new carnivorous species, such as tuna, cod, and octopus, risks repeating and amplifying the mistakes of factory farming on land. These animals are sentient and, in many cases, highly intelligent, with complex behavioural and physiological needs that cannot be met in captivity. At the same time, farming them would increase demand for fishmeal and fish oil, putting additional pressure on already overexploited wild fish populations and undermining marine biodiversity.
The use of purpose-caught wild fish in aquafeeds represents both an animal welfare and environmental crisis. Billions of sentient animals are removed from the oceans each year to be reduced into fishmeal and fish oil, depriving marine ecosystems of essential species and reducing food security for coastal communities who depend on these fish directly for food. Phasing out the use of wild-caught fish in aquafeeds, and replacing them with sustainable alternatives such as by-products, algae, or plant-based proteins not suitable for human consumption, is essential to reduce suffering, protect biodiversity, and build a more just and sustainable aquaculture sector.
Sign the pledge today to keep marine life wild, free, and thriving, and to demand an end to the expansion of unsustainable carnivorous aquaculture.
Expansion into new carnivorous species can heighten the risk of local water pollution and disease outbreaks. Reliance on fishmeal and fish oil made from wild-caught fish could further undermine food security, place additional pressure on marine ecosystems, and accelerate the depletion of our oceans. For the octopus, a highly intelligent and sentient being, there is still no legislation in place to safeguard their welfare.
The Keep Them Wild campaign is a response, which started in the Canary Islands, Spain. Here, plans for the world’s first commercial octopus farm exposed the dangers of industrialising these intelligent, sentient animals. Wild means alive, free, and thriving in their natural ecosystems; not confined in tanks and exploited for profit.
By pledging to Keep Them Wild, policymakers have the opportunity to protect animal welfare, safeguard fragile marine ecosystems, decrease unsustainable fishmeal and fish oil sourcing practices, and strengthen global food security by ensuring small fish feed people rather than factory farms. Signing this pledge is also a chance to demonstrate political leadership in shaping a food system that safeguards natural resources, strengthens resilience, upholds ethical standards, and anticipates future needs.
Key highlights:
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Acción Océanos, Spain
Action for Dolphins, Australia
Action for Protection of Animals Africa, Kenya
AEL Advocacy, Canada
Angolan Vegetarian Association, Angola
Animal Action Greece, The UK
Animal Advocacy Careers, The US
Animal Law Reform South Africa, South Africa
Animal Partisan, The US
Animal Protection Organization of Nigeria, NIgeria
Animal Rights Center Japan, Japan
Animal Welfare Institute, The US
Animal Welfare Observatory, Spain
Animals Aotearoa, New Zealand
Animals Don't Speak Human, Indonesia
AnimaNaturalis, Spain
Aquatic Animal Alliance, Mexico
Aquatic Life Institute, Italy
Arba, Perú
Asociación Empatía, Spain
Better Food Foundation, The US
BLOOM, France
CAOPA, Senegal
Capital V, Portugal
Center for Biological Diversity, The US
Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements, Belgium
Crustacean Compassion, The UK
Czarna Owca Pana Kota, Poland
DEPANA, Spain
Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V., Germany
Dierenbescherming, Netherlands
Dierencoalitie, Netherlands
Dier&Recht foundation, Netherlands
Education for African Animals Welfare (EAAW), Tanzania
Eestimaa Loomakaitse Liit (Estonian Union for the Protection of Animals), Estonia
Environmental and Animal Rights Consultants Pakistan, Pakistan
Essere Animali, Italy
Estonian Union for the Protection of Animals, Estonia
Ethical Farming Ireland, Ireland
Eurogroup for Animals, Belgium
FAADA (Fundación para el Asesoramiento y Acción en Defensa de los Animales), Spain
Farm Forward, The US
Fédération nationale des pêches, Mauritania
Fish Welfare Initiative, The US
Fondation Droit Animal (LFDA), France
Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal, Chile
Fundación Veg / Veg Foundation, Chile
GAIA, Belgium
Generation Vegan, The US
Green REV Institute, Poland
Greenpeace Spain
Greyton Farm Animal Sanctuary, South Africa
Indian Vegetarians and Vegans, The UK
KYMA sea conservation & research, Switzerland, Switzerland
Life of Pachamama, Colombia
Mercy For Animals, The US
Montreal SPCA, Canada
Nurture Imvelo Trust, Zimbawe
OneKind, Scotland
PACMA, Spain
Planet For All, Hong Kong
Plant-Based Health Professionals UK
Positive Ripple Consulting, France
Project 1882, Sweden
Protección Animal Ecuador , Ecuador
ProVeg UK
Proyecto ALA Animales Latino América, Colombia
Raíces & Brotes España- Institute Jane Goodall Spain
RENCTAS - Rede Nacional de Combate ao Tráfico de Animais Silvestres, Brazil
SAFE - Save Animals from Exploitation, New Zealand
Sea First Foundation, Netherlands
Sea Shepherd Brazil
SeaLegacy, Canada
Seastemik, France
Social Compassion in Legislation, The US
Stop Live Export South Africa , South Africa
Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development , The US
Terranimal, Ecuador
The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy, Belgium
The Humane League US
The Humane League UK
The Shellfish Network, The UK
The Swedish Association for the Protection of Animals, Sweden
Think.fish, Italy
Union Vegetariana Española, Spain
Utunzi Animal Welfare, Kenya
Vissenbescherming, Netherlands
Vivamar Society, Slovenia
Voiceless: the animal protection institute, Australia
Voters For Animal Rights, The US
Wacpaw, Ghana
We Animals, Canada and The UK
Welfarm, France
WeMove Europe, Spain
Woodstock Farm Sanctuary , The US
World Animal Justice, France
World Animal Protection, The US
Núria Almiron, UPF-Centre for Animal Ethics
Dr Marc Abraham OBE, BVM&S MRCVS
Aleix Alvarez Ciudad, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Joanna Barlow
Jonathan Balcombe, independent author
Prof. Jonathan Birch, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Dr Heather Browning, University of Southampton
Silvia Caprioglio Panizza, Centre for Ethics, University of Pardubice
Paula Casal, Professor at ICREA and UPF Center for animal ethics
Balsamine Chein, Hunter College / Environmental Studies
Prof. David L. Clough, Chair in Theology and Applied Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Prof. F.-X. Dechaume-Moncharmont, PhD, university of Lyon, France
Dr James Dyke, University of Exeter
Wasseem Emam, Doctoral Researcher, Complutense University of Madrid
Laura Fernández, Universitat de Barcelona/ UPF-Centre for Animal Ethics
Cristian Moyano Fernández, Institute of Philosophy, Spanish National Research Council
Becca Franks, New York University
Prof Dave Goulson, University of Sussex
Ben Goldsmith, English financier and environmentalist
Jennifer Jacquet, Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Miami
Prof. Amir Kassam OBE. University of Reading, United Kingdom
Dr Lori Kogan, Colorado State University
Prof. Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food Policy, University of London
Fabiola Leyton Donoso, Lecturer in Ethics, University of Barcelona
Dr Robert Maślak, Uniwersytet Wrocławski
Luc Mounier, Professeur en Bien-être animal, VetAgro Sup
Gonzalo Perez-Rosales, PhD. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Carol Royle, Actress
Peter Singer, Princeton University & National University of Singapore
Professor Lynne U. Sneddon, University of Gothenburg
Dr Marta Tafalla, Philosophy Lecturer at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Dr Richard Twine, Centre for Human-Animal Studies (CfHAS), Edge Hill University, UK.
Dr hab. prof. UP Marcin Urbaniak, Animal BEAM Lab
Marina Vegué, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Walter Veit, University of Reading
Dr Justyna Zwolińska, SWPS University
A global movement to end factory farming initiated by Compassion in World Farming.