Nueva Pescanova abandons plan for world's first octopus farm after ethical backlash

Spanish seafood company Nueva Pescanova has cancelled its proposal to build the world’s first commercial octopus farm on Gran Canaria. The decision follows years of public outcry, animal‑welfare criticism and new regulatory demands from the Regional Environmental Assessment Commission, which required a full environmental impact assessment and altered project timelines. The farm would have housed octopuses in large communal tanks, required about 28,000 tonnes of wild‑caught fish, and raised concerns about the welfare of highly intelligent cephalopods and pressure on marine ecosystems. Animal‑rights groups such as In Defense of Animals and Compassion in World Farming welcomed the cancellation, with In Defense of Animals stating the facility “would have created an entirely new form of industrial farming for octopuses, threatening the welfare of thousands of these highly intelligent animals.” Nueva Pescanova cited administrative delays and regulatory hurdles as reasons for withdrawing, but has not ruled out future proposals elsewhere.