The US state of California has enacted a bill banning octopus farming on land and in water and prohibiting the sale of farmed octopuses amid rising ethical and environmental concerns associated with the practice. The legislation is known as the California Oppose Cruelty to Octopuses (OCTO) Act. Governor Gavin Newsom signed it on September 27, making it the second law of its kind worldwide, after Washington introduced a similar ban in March this year. Assembly members Steve Bennett and Laura Friedman co-authored the OCTO Act, which addresses critical animal welfare and ecological issues surrounding octopus farming. Backed by the Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), the bill received unanimous approval from the California Senate in August and was hailed as a “watershed” moment in the animal rights movement.
