Video: After 5 years of campaigning against worlds first octopus farm in Spain, Compassion in World Farming has achieved a major victory: all plans are cancelled

 Plans for world's first octopus farm cancelled: 

 

CIWF celebrates success after 5 years of campaigning 

Compassion in World Farming www.ciwf.nl

 

The plans of the Spanish company Nueva Pescanova to build the world's first octopus farm in the port of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria have been scrapped. After five years of campaigning against the farm, which would be a nightmare for the well-being of the hyper-intelligent, sensitive octopus, animal welfare organization Compassion in World Farming has achieved success. 

Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]

 

Annemarie Brijder, Aquatic Animal Welfare Campaigner for Compassion in World Farming Netherlands: “We are incredibly greatfull! This is a major victory for the octopus and for all those thousands of people worldwide dedicated to protecting it. This beautiful, hyper-intelligent, sensitive animal does not belong locked up in a cage. It is now up to governments and the EU to ban octopus farming for good, before it can start elsewhere.”

 

Annually, 1 million – naturally solitary – octopuses would be kept in crowded, bare tanks in the planned hatchery, which would lead to great animal suffering: including stress, aggression, and cannibalism. Moreover, there is no scientifically approved method to kill the animals as painlessly as possible.

 

The farm would not only be a disaster for the welfare of these animals, but would also lead to environmental pollution and food waste. The animals would be fed wild-caught fish, which would put even greater pressure on already overfished oceans. In the first year, approximately 28,000 tonnes of wild-caught fish would be needed as feed to produce just 3,000 tonnes of octopus meat ^[1] .

 

Campaigning for years

 

The plans led to global outrage among animal welfare organizations, scientists, activists, and the general public. Today's news follows a recent campaign by Compassion in World Farming to urge the Port Authority of Las Palmas to officially withdraw the building permit application for the farm. The company had failed to submit the required environmental impact assessments. More than 43,000 emails were sent to the authority, including thousands from the Dutch.

 

Earlier today, the port authority confirmed that Nueva Pescanova is abandoning its plans to build the nursery in Las Palmas. Compassion in World Farming has campaigned for five years to stop the project. During that period, the organization published three major investigative reports, launched an open letters and postcard campaign in which many Dutch people participated, and mobilized other NGOs, experts, and celebrities to join the campaign.

 

Many people feel a connection with the octopus, especially after seeing the Oscar-winning documentary 'My Octopus Teacher', in which the general public was introduced to this incredibly intelligent, curious animal with the almost magical ability to change shape in a flash. 

 

TIMELINE

2021

In response to the plans for the world's first breeding facility, we published an extensive report with eight reasons not to keep this eight-armed animal in breeding facilities. The report led to a wave of outrage worldwide, including in the Netherlands.

2023

In February 2023, the US state of Washington announced it might ban farming. This followed the closure of a center in Hawaii where experiments with octopus farming were being conducted in secret. Thanks in part to our campaign, the octopus farm was forced to cease operations.

2024

Together with Eurogroup for Animals, we are publishing 'Exposing the environmental risks of octopus farming' : a new report in which we highlight the enormous damage to nature and the environment if the plans for the octopus farm go ahead. 

2025

In the summer, we sent a digital holiday postcard en message to the official Tourist Office on Gran Canaria, with the message: we would much rather come to your island without an octopus farm! On World Octopus Day, October 8, we are releasing a new report: 'The Growing Threat of Carnivorous Aquaculture' and asking key policymakers to support an end to octopus farming.

2026

With two new campaigns, a petition to the Spanish Minister of Agriculture , and massive protest emails to the Port Authority of Gran Canaria , we continue to mount the pressure to stop the first octopus farm in Spain. There is also good news from the United States: after Washington and California, New York is the third state to ban inhumane farming . 

Animal Rescuer Zoe Rosenberg found guilty of saving 4 sick and injured chickens from a slaughterhouse in California may get a 5 years a prison sentence

 

UPDATE! In a devastating blow to animal welfare, Zoe Rosenberg, an animal rescuer and investigator with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), has been found guilty of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors for saving four sick and injured chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. The conviction carries a potential sentence of nearly five years in jail, a staggering punishment for an act of compassion.

While Zoe now faces years behind bars, Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry walks free despite documented evidence of animals left to die slowly, trapped in filth, or scalded alive in boiling water. The very cruelty that sparked Zoe’s rescue was barred from the jury’s full view, leaving them to judge her actions without the context of the suffering she sought to end.

Represented by Chris Carraway of the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project and attorney Kevin Little, Zoe plans to appeal her conviction, challenging the court’s refusal to allow her a necessity defense, the argument that her actions were justified to prevent greater harm. The defense was also severely limited in presenting animal cruelty evidence, an omission that silenced the animals’ suffering at the heart of this case.

For the animal welfare movement, the verdict is both a devastating blow and a rallying cry. A young woman may soon sit in prison for saving the lives of animals, while those who inflict industrial-scale animal cruelty remain shielded by law and profit. Around the world, supporters mourn the injustice and brace for the long fight ahead, to bring compassion back into this fallen world.

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September 16th: Zoe Rosenberg, a dedicated animal rescuer and investigator with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), is facing the fight of her life. On Monday, September 15th, the Perdue Rescue Trial began at the Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa, California. Rosenberg stands accused of rescuing four sick and injured chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. If convicted, she could face nearly five years in jail.

Despite the significance of this case, all media has been denied access to the courtroom. However, daily Court Watch summaries will be posted on DxE’s blog, with updates also shared on the Perdue Rescue Trial X account, DxE’s Instagram, and UnchainedTV’s live panel discussions. Supporters are encouraged to attend the trial in person by signing up HERE!

On June 13th, 2023, Rosenberg rescued four chickens, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea, who were suffering inside the slaughterhouse. She publicly announced the rescue that same day, yet was not arrested until November 30th. In December, prosecutors placed her under the strictest level of pre-trial release, including a GPS ankle monitor, warrantless searches, and severe travel restrictions.

Originally charged with multiple felonies, Rosenberg now faces one count of felony conspiracy, two misdemeanor trespass charges, and one misdemeanor for allegedly tampering with a chicken transport truck. Her defense is being led by Chris Carraway of the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, while Sonoma County prosecutors Matthew Hobson and Jessalee Mills pursue the case under District Attorney Carla Rodriguez.

Before the rescue, Rosenberg and other DxE activists repeatedly reported graphic evidence of criminal animal cruelty at Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry facility to law enforcement, the USDA, and local agencies. These included birds trapped on their backs without food or water and birds with bloody wounds. Authorities took no action. For Rosenberg, this case isn’t about denying what she did, it’s about explaining why.

“On the first day of my trial, the judge ruled that my ankle monitor might prejudice the jury and ordered that I can have it removed. This comes after nearly two years of being electronically monitored by the government. I will likely be getting it off sometime today,” shared Zoe Rosenberg on her social media.

“The judge also ruled that we will sadly not be allowed to present or discuss evidence of animal cruelty at the factory farms that supply chickens to Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. He struck some of our witnesses, including Lewis Bernier and Eva Hamer,” continued Rosenberg. “However, he decided that we can tell the jury about the conditions the rescued chickens were in and potentially even present their veterinary records. Animal caretaker Carla Cabral will be allowed to testify.”

Today, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are thriving at an undisclosed animal sanctuary, living the lives they were almost denied, thanks to the devoted care of their caretaker, Carla Cabral.

Pre-trial motions on Monday shaped key aspects of the trial. While the judge limited testimony about earlier investigations and other facilities, Rosenberg will be able to explain how those investigations influenced her beliefs, including a previous case where law enforcement allowed the rescue of a single injured bird named Rose.

This case will test not only Rosenberg’s freedom but also whether rescuing sick and injured animals will be seen as a crime or as an act of compassion. As the trial continues, the world will be watching to see whether the law sides with suffering or with mercy.

World Animal News