Nueva Pescanova abandons first commercial octopus farm project in Canary Islands

Spanish seafood group Nueva Pescanova has withdrawn its plan to build the world’s first commercial octopus farm in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The company cited the high number of environmental licensing requirements and economic considerations as reasons for cancelling the project, which was slated for a €50 million investment and aimed to begin sales in 2023.

All octopus currently consumed in the market are wild‑caught from the central‑eastern Atlantic, and no commercial farms exist worldwide. Animal‑rights and environmental organisations, which have long opposed octopus farming due to the species’ intelligence, solitary nature, and the ecological impact of feeding carnivorous cephalopods, welcomed the cancellation as a victory for animal welfare. Nueva Pescanova said the decision does not rule out future attempts at octopus aquaculture, but the immediate abandonment halts a venture that could have increased demand for octopus and affected wild populations already pressured by intensive fishing.