A federal bill to ban octopus farming and commercial imports was introduced in the US

Federal bill to ban octopus farming and commercial imports introduced. The ground-breaking bill is poised to become the first country-wide law that will ban commercial octopus aquaculture operations. A new federal bill to prevent the commercial farming of octopuses, as well as the importation and sale of commercially farmed octopuses, has been introduced by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The bipartisan legislation follows the introduction of similar bills in various states, including HB 1153 in Washington state, which was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee this March. Aquatic Life Institute, which played a central role in supporting each of the legislations, believes that the introduction of this federal bill signifies a watershed moment in protecting against the environmental, ethical, and public health challenges associated with octopus farming. The bill, referred to as “Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through ...