Octopus Farming Ban Campaign Tool Kit

Resources to help you start your own campaign to ban octopus farming.

Washington is the First Place in the World to Ban Octopus Farming

Octopus farming is a luxury product industry that is unsustainable, environmentally destructive, and inhumane. In 2024, Washington state became the first place in the world to ban octopus farming. The passage of HB 1153 prevented the development of octopus farming from coming to Washington and has set the stage for a new wave of preemptive legislation protecting animals.

The passage of HB 1153 was championed by Animal Rights Initiative and Pasado’s Safe Haven with sponsorship from Washington Legislative District Representatives Peterson, Fitzgibbon, Berry, Walen, Bateman, Goodman, Leavitt, Macri, Gregerson, Stonier, Pollet and Fosse.

Bill Fact Sheet

Utilize the one page fact sheet we used to lobby for the passage of HB 1153 to create your own.

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Testimony

Take advantage of our testimony and letter examples to advocate for your octopus bill.

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Social Media

Leverage your networks and advocate for octopuses using our simple social media tips.

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Network Building

Create a simple endorsement form to organize support from other stakeholders.

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MAKING THE CASE AGAINST OCTOPUS FARMS

Banning octopus farming may be important to different lawmakers for different reasons. Review the talking points below and do your research to discover what matters to your elected officials.

An octopus glides across the ocean floor.

Economic concerns

Octopus farming is a new and emerging luxury product industry that poses significant risks. By preemptively banning octopus farming, we can avoid impacting jobs and the local economy. Banning octopus farming does not prohibit fishing.

Animal welfare concerns

Octopuses are highly intelligent and emotionally complex creatures who are known to prefer solitude. Confining them within crowded farm settings with limited space goes directly against their natural instincts, which is fundamentally inhumane.

Environmental Concerns

Additional aquaculture facilities for octopuses create an increased risk of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, contributing to environmental pollution and disrupting our delicate local marine ecosystems. There is also a significant risk of farmed octopuses escaping their enclosures and impacting local populations.

Public Health Concerns

Industrial aquaculture farms are breeding grounds for pathogens, and octopuses are hosts of multiple pathogens and zoonotic diseases that can be spread to humans. Using antibiotics to combat these pathogens can create multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Sustainability Concerns

Octopuses are carnivores and must consume other fish to survive. Farming them creates additional pressure on already depleted wild fish populations and harms the long-term health of our oceans for future generations.