Is creating octopus farms to rear them for food really a good idea?

Underestimate octopuses at your peril. In terms of their personality, they’re kind of like a cat – solitary, happy to be on their own but they do seek out social interaction when they feel like it.” open image in gallery Octopuses have around 500 million neurons in their body Prof Tse explains why animals such as cats provide a useful point of comparison when studying octopus intelligence. open image in gallery Nueva Pescanova is building the world’s first indoor octopus farm in Gran Canaria “If these plans are correct, these animals will experience incredible amounts of stress and suffering. open image in gallery Nueva Pescanova’s 1,000-tank facility is projected to produce 3,000 tonnes of octopus meat each year By opting for the most traditional and cost-effective method of killing factory-farmed fish – immersing them in an ice slurry to lower the core body temperature and so achieve death by hypothermia – Nueva Pescanova has incensed animal rights activists. open image in gallery Keri Tietge: ‘If these plans are correct, these animals will experience incredible amounts of stress and suffering’ “We are tangled in what many call the animal industrial complex, and it seems there are no easy paths forward if consumers want cheap, easily available and nutritious food.” But when it comes to octopus, Hamilton believes its status as a luxury food item simplifies the issue.