Octopuses
intelligent individuals reduced to exotic food
Deep beneath the surface of the ocean live creatures with up to ten arms, nine brains, three hearts, and a unique mind. Octopuses are sentient, intelligent individuals that can experience fear, pain, and possibly even joy. Yet they are increasingly being fished and farmed to satisfy a global demand for "exotic food." Read here why we should stop farming and fishing for octopuses, and how you can best help them.
Imagine an octopus in its natural element. It glides elegantly between rock formations, observing with its sharp eyesight, exploring with its many sensitive arms. This creature has never wanted anything other than to live, explore, and perhaps hide from danger.
Eating squid is not necessary. It is not a matter of survival, but of desire. And when our desire causes suffering to a creature that can feel pain, we should ask ourselves: is it worth it?
Octopuses are remarkably intelligent creatures. They exhibit advanced behaviors such as problem solving, social interaction, and an impressive ability to remember past experiences. In addition, research shows that they can feel pain and exhibit signs of emotional life. They react to fear, stress, and possibly even joy. We are therefore talking about an animal that possesses far more than just instincts—an animal that deserves our respect and care. Yet today, we treat them as if they feel nothing. This is a fundamental injustice that we cannot ignore.
Octopuses are currently caught on a large scale, especially in Asia, the Mediterranean, and Latin America, but they are also caught in Denmark and Europe. The industrialization of fishing and an increasing number of octopus farms are causing major ethical problems:
Cruelty: Squid are often caught using methods that cause prolonged suffering, including long transport times and painful slaughter.
Environmental impact: Fishing has a negative impact on the marine environment and biodiversity.
Slaughter without stunning: Unlike mammals and birds, there is often no requirement for stunning during slaughter.
Captivity: Octopuses do not thrive in small, artificial environments and therefore suffer in them.
Why should we stop catching and farming octopuses?
🧠 Did you know ?
Octopuses (which belong to the Cephalopod group) can solve complex problems, open jars, and learn from experience—traits we otherwise only see in higher vertebrates.
Octopuses have a well-developed nervous system and exhibit behavior that suggests they can feel pain and stress.
Their brains are larger in relation to body size than many fish and reptiles.
Most octopuses only live for 1-2 years, but play an important role in their ecosystems as prey and predators.
They can rapidly change their skin color and texture —both as camouflage and as a means of communication.
They have evolved separately from vertebrates for over 500 million years – and represent an alternative form of intelligence.
Like lobsters, squids are solitary animals by nature, which means that breeding them in pools that are too small with too many other squids can lead to stress, aggression, and high mortality rates. This is behavior that we also see in intelligent mammals in cages. It is no coincidence.
Due to their high intelligence, octopuses suffer even more in captivity than fish, lobsters, and shrimp, which already suffer greatly.
Precisely because octopuses have the ability to understand, remember, and respond emotionally to their surroundings, the absence of stimulation and freedom becomes not just boring—it becomes torture. Their intelligence does not make them more suited to captivity. It makes them more vulnerable.
High intelligence is of no benefit in captivity
How do we solve the problem?
One of the arguments for opening new squid farms is that it will take some of the pressure off wild stocks. More farmed squid equals more squid in the wild, as humans can then eat the farmed individuals. But we do not believe this is a valid argument at all here at Dyrenes Alliance. We can shape a world where we do not need to interfere with the lives of squid just for our own gain. Furthermore, more farms will only lead to greater systematic suffering and will not ensure the opposite.
The most compassionate and effective way to protect octopuses—and all sea creatures—is simply to refrain from consuming them. When we choose to remove animals from our plates, we send a clear message to the industry: there is no longer support for suffering and killing.
Switching to a plant-based diet is not just an ethical choice. It is also a practical and sustainable choice. Today, most supermarkets offer delicious, nutritious, and 100% animal-friendly alternatives to fish and seafood. Products that taste like fish, but without anyone having to suffer for it. By choosing plant-based, we take responsibility and give octopuses and other sea creatures space to live in peace.
So why not try our Vegan Challenge?
You can help us help the squids
Vegan ethics insists that all sentient beings have intrinsic value. The lives of squids are no less valuable simply because they live beneath the surface of the ocean. Unfortunately, their suffering is not an isolated example of animals suffering for the sake of humans. It is time we expanded our empathy and left the creatures of the sea in peace.
But it's not about perfection. It's about taking a stand. When we choose what we eat, we also choose what we support. You can also support our work at Dyrenes Alliance in several ways: