On World Octopus Day, new undercover footage has revealed the disturbing reality of octopus slaughter – as secretive research into farming octopuses continues here in New Zealand.
The footage, released by Compassion in World Farming, shows octopuses being forcibly submerged in icy water, taking up to ten minutes to die. The animals struggle desperately to escape, enduring prolonged suffering.
This killing method is likely to be used at the world’s first proposed commercial octopus farm in Spain – a grim glimpse into what “octopus farming” could mean globally.
“Octopuses are highly intelligent, emotional animals who can feel pain and stress,” says Animals Aotearoa Executive Director Marianne Macdonald.
“They can taste with their arms, sense light through their skin, and solve puzzles for fun. Seeing them die in such slow, cruel ways is unbearable. It’s horrifying to think that right now, research in New Zealand is helping make this kind of factory farming possible.”
A global movement to stop octopus farming
Animals Aotearoa has joined organisations around the world in signing a new global pledge – ‘Keep Them Wild’, coordinated by Compassion in World Farming – calling for an outright ban on octopus farming and an end to the unsustainable expansion of industrial aquaculture.
While octopus farming has not yet begun in Aotearoa, New Zealand researchers are playing a role in developing it. University of Auckland scientists have been conducting experiments on the Gloomy octopus – a New Zealand species that has also been studied in Australia for potential commercial use.
Research cloaked in secrecy
Animals Aotearoa has spent the past year investigating how much public funding is going towards octopus farming research. But every attempt to uncover the truth has met resistance.
“This year alone, we’ve sent eight Official Information Act requests to multiple agencies – including the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry for the Environment, the Minister responsible for Animal Welfare, the University of Auckland, and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE’s) Endeavour Fund,” says Macdonald. “This whole issue smells very fishy. Those involved are being cagey about admitting what they’re doing.”
Some requests were ignored for months, others came back heavily redacted, and in some cases, responses have contradicted each other.
One major research grant is due to expire soon – but conflicting information suggests the work may still be continuing. Animals Aotearoa has now lodged a formal complaint with the Ombudsman, challenging MBIE’s refusal to release key information.
“We’ve had to piece together conflicting answers like a puzzle,” says Macdonald. “Officials say they’re not seeking new funding, but other documents describe the research as successful and ongoing. So where is the money coming from? And why won’t MBIE say whether more funding is being sought?”
Global report warns of devastating consequences
Alongside the new footage, Compassion in World Farming has also released a major new report, The Growing Threat of Carnivorous Aquaculture, which outlines the catastrophic global consequences of farming octopuses and other carnivorous species.
Some of the key findings include:
- Farmed octopuses could consume up to 90,700 tonnes of wild fish annually by 2040, the equivalent of seven billion fish.
- The proposed Spanish octopus farm alone could use two billion fish per year just to feed the octopuses.
- Feed for these farms would likely come from wild-caught fish in West Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, threatening food security and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
“Octopus farming is not sustainable – it’s a shameful and misguided step backwards,” says Macdonald. “It would devastate wild fish populations, exploit animals capable of emotion and intelligence, and create yet another cruel, factory-farming industry. We need to stop this before it starts.”
What we’re calling for
Animals Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand Government to:
- Stop funding research that supports or enables octopus farming.
- Publicly rule out ever approving commercial or pilot octopus farms in Aotearoa.
- Commit to full transparency around how public funds are used for animal-based research.
“New Zealand has an opportunity to lead,” says Macdonald. “To say we will not pursue or support this kind of cruelty. Octopuses belong in the ocean – not in factory farms.”
Take action this World Octopus Day
You can help stop octopus farming before it starts.
Email the Government today and call on them to end funding for octopus farming research and commit to banning it in Aotearoa.