OCTOPUS FARM OUR VIEW

WE have all become used to the concept of fish farming around the world and although there have been some problems in the past with poor hygiene and unfortunate outbreaks of disease, they are generally accepted.

If we are to try to conserve fish stocks in the seas and maintain the marine balance, then it is relatively clear that these farms are not only here to stay but will increase in both size and the species that are produced.

One of the first of the fish farms featured salmon but since then expansion has seen oysters, mussels, crustaceans and even sturgeon here in Spain, as there is a never ending desire for fresh fruits de mer.

According to several scientists and the pressure group Anima Naturalis, the latest development in Las Palmas, Canary Islands may however be a step too far.

The first ever octopus farm has now been opened and environmentalists are strongly opposed on a number of grounds, foremost being that the octopus is actually a very intelligent and sentient creature as exemplified by the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher and therefore deserves much better treatment.

Even renowned Ape specialist Dr Jane Goodall has joined in the criticism, not only speaking up for the mental health of the estimated 300,000 cephalopods that will be slaughtered in the farm annually, but also due to the possible damage done as sea currents distribute the chemicals and antibiotics used in the farm.

There is always a balance that must be found between the needs of humans and the protection of the environment, but this latest development may just be too much.