Canary Islands government questions sustainability of EU’s first octopus farm project

The Canary Islands government requested a more in-depth impact study from the company behind the project to build Europe’s first-ever octopus farm, due to uncertainties over environmental consequences.

The octopus farm was due to be built in the Canary Islands this year, but authorities have now asked for further studies into the potential environmental impact of the project.

“[It] may have significant negative effects on the environment and […] must therefore be subject to the ordinary environmental impact assessment procedure”, concluded the government in its report, recently published.

This means that the company should provide new studies, further drawing out a controversy which has lasted for over two years.

The project, which aims to farm a million cephalopods in the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, at a rate of 3,000 tonnes a year, would be the first of its kind in Europe.

For environmental NGOs, the consequences would be catastrophic not only for these intelligent and sensitive animals, but also for the surrounding environment.

According to them, the overcrowding in the tanks could encourage aggressiveness and even cannibalism.

The octopus farm was due to be built in the Canary Islands this year, but authorities have now asked for further studies into the potential environmental impact of the project.

This means that the company should provide new studies, further drawing out a controversy which has lasted for over two years.

The project, which aims to farm a million cephalopods in the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, at a rate of 3,000 tonnes a year, would be the first of its kind in Europe.

For environmental NGOs, the consequences would be catastrophic not only for these intelligent and sensitive animals, but also for the surrounding environment.

According to them, the overcrowding in the tanks could encourage aggressiveness and even cannibalism.