What was originally planned as a protest calling for the official closure of Nueva Pescanova's octopus farm application turned into a celebration today, after the company announced on Thursday (23 July 2026) that it was abandoning the project.

Representatives of 13 animal protection and environmental organisations gathered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to mark the end of what would have been the world's first commercial octopus farm, and to renew calls for legislation banning octopus farming in Spain and across the European Union.

The proposed facility would have farmed around one million octopuses every year in intensive conditions, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that these highly intelligent, solitary animals cannot be farmed or slaughtered humanely.

Nueva Pescanova's decision follows five years of campaigning led by Compassion in World Farming, alongside scientists, animal protection, and environmental organisations, and thousands of supporters around the world. In May, Compassion in World Farming called on the Las Palmas Port Authority to formally close the application after years of inactivity. Since then, more than 43,000 supporters have emailed the Port Authority urging it to close the file, while 114 international organisations and 24 scientists signed an open letter calling for the project to be definitively abandoned.

Although Nueva Pescanova has withdrawn its plans, organisations warn that interest in octopus farming has not disappeared. They are now calling on Spain and the European Union to seize this opportunity by introducing a legal ban on octopus farming, ensuring this cruel and unsustainable industry never takes hold.

Dr Elena Lara, Senior Research and Policy Advisor at Compassion in World Farming, said:

Nueva Pescanova's decision to abandon this project is a major victory for octopuses, our oceans and the thousands of people who came together to stop the world's first commercial octopus farm.

But this must not be the end of the story. Governments now have a unique opportunity to turn this victory into lasting protection by introducing a ban on octopus farming before any new proposals can move forward.

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For more information please email media.team@ciwf.org or call +44 (0)1483 521 615

Images can be downloaded here.

Notes to Editors

Today's event was organised by Compassion in World Farming and AnimaNaturalis, with the support of Ekō, Greenpeace, Ecologistas en Acción, Acción Océanos, We The Free, Raíces y Brotes, Turcón, WeMove Europe, the Aquatic Animal Alliance, the Aquatic Life Institute and Eurogroup for Animals.
Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in the US, China and South Africa.  
To find out more about Compassion in World Farming visit: www.ciwf.org.uk

NGOs Call for Legal Ban After Octopus Farm Victory