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Send a letter to the port authority of Las Palmas

In May 2021, the company Nueva Pescanova applied to the Port Authority of Las Palmas for permission to build the world’s first ever octopus farm. Five years later, they still haven’t been able to provide the detailed environmental impact assessment required by the Port Authority to proceed.

The Port Authority asked for this full environmental impact assessment because the octopus farm's potential environmental risks are significant. However, Nueva Pescanova never submitted it. As a result, the deadline for its application to obtain a port license to install the octopus farm has passed, and the application must now be closed by law.

If thousands of us write to the Port Authority, they won’t be able to ignore our request much longer.

Dear Beatriz Calzada Ojeda,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Nueva Pescanova’s application to establish the world’s first octopus farm in the Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Octopus farming would cause serious and unjustifiable animal suffering. Octopuses are highly intelligent, sentient animals with complex behavioural needs and a largely solitary nature, making captivity in tanks incompatible with their welfare. Moreover, there is currently no specific legislation protecting octopuses in farming systems, nor are there any scientifically validated humane slaughter methods, raising serious ethical concerns.

The project would also have significant environmental impacts. As carnivores, octopuses require feed made from wild‑caught fish, increasing pressure on already overexploited marine ecosystems. Locally, the farm could cause water pollution, harm protected species such as cetaceans and sea turtles, and generate a high energy footprint.

In 2023, the Canary Islands Government required a full environmental impact assessment due to these risks. However, Nueva Pescanova failed to submit this assessment, allowing the deadline for its port concession application to expire. Under Article 95.1 of Law 39/2015, the Port Authority is therefore obliged to declare the application expired.

For these reasons, I urge you to formally close this application without delay.

[Name]

[Country]

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Why your email matters

Octopus Farming is a threat to animals, food security and marine life.

Octopuses are extremely clever and sensitive animals. Because of their naturally solitary, intelligent nature, confining them in tanks to farm them would be cruel and lead to huge animal suffering. It is impossible to farm them whilst protecting their welfare. Also, no humane slaughter methods exist for octopuses.

Beyond these serious welfare concerns, the environmental consequences are equally severe. Farming octopuses would rely on fishmeal and fish oil made from wild-caught fish, as well as a large amount of live or frozen natural food such as crustaceans and fish, stripping the oceans of vital forage species that underpin marine food systems, and on which vulnerable coastal communities rely.

It is vital to stop Nueva Pescanova’s first ever octopus farm before it is too late.

Millions of octopuses could suffer in octopus farms

The world’s first octopus farm must not open

Farming octopus is both cruel to animals and damaging to the environment.

The Port Authority of Las Palmas, where Nueva Pescanova applied to build the world’s first octopus farm, must reject the application.

Will you send this email to the Port Authority of Las Palmas?

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