Mexico Introduces Bill To Ban Octopus Farming Due To High Mortality Rates And Cannibalism

Mexico has introduced a bill to ban octopus farming nationwide.

The new bill cites the extremely high mortality rates and cannibalism documented at the Sisal octopus farm over the last 12 years. If successful, the proposed legislation would prohibit the farming of any cephalopod species within Mexican territory.

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The bill was introduced by Fundación Veg and supported with scientific input by the Aquatic Life Institute. Both are part of the Aquatic Animal Alliance, which represents more than 180 organizations. The bill proposes reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture. It addresses the human health risks of factory farming, the protection of small-scale farmers, and animal welfare issues.

As reported by Food Ingredients First, Mexico houses the only operational octopus farm in the Western Hemisphere, the Sisal facility in Yucatán. The farm has reported mortality rates exceeding 50 percent over its 12 years of operation, with 30 percent of all deaths attributed to cannibalism. Cannibalism is a common behavior in farmed octopuses and is caused by the confinement of cephalopods – intelligent animals who are solitary by nature – in stress-inducingly close proximity to one another.

“Octopuses are physiologically and behaviorally too complex to be exploited in intensive settings, and the evidence from Mexico’s own Sisal farm speaks for itself,” said Catalina López, an aquatic veterinarian and the director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance. “Octopus farming is not a feasible industry.”

In 2025, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) highlighted the “growing threat” of octopus farming and all “carnivorous aquaculture” in a report. The charity simultaneously released undercover footage of “inhumane” octopus slaughter.

Read more: CIWF Highlights The ‘Growing Threat’ Of Octopus Farming With New Report

Movement to ban octopus farming gains global momentum

Octopuses are sentient animals, and they are now recognized as such within UK law.

A review of more than 300 studies published in 2021 found “very strong evidence of sentience,” which the authors described as “the capacity to have feelings, such as feelings of pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, warmth, joy, comfort and excitement.”

Mexico’s bill is the latest legislative attempt to end octopus farming. Chile introduced draft legislation last year, and in the US, the states of California and Washington have already banned octopus farming. Similar changes are expected in New York, Hawaii, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Mexico’s bill will now move to the Senate. Learn more about octopus farming here.

Read more: The ‘World’s First’ Octopus Farm – Everything You Need To Know