A close-up of an octopus looking directly at the camera.

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As your constituent, I ask for your urgent help and leadership to prevent environmental destruction and animal suffering by cosponsoring the OCTOPUS Act (S.1947), which would ban octopus farming and imports of farmed octopus meat. There has been emerging interest in mass farming these animals as a luxury seafood product, however, farming these animals raises serious environmental and welfare concerns and thus must be addressed before it is too late. Inquisitive, fragile, solitary, and carnivorous, these animals are fundamentally unsuited for farming at scale.

Previous octopus farming endeavors have touted doing so in the name of conservation, however, evidence shows that octopus farming does more harm than good. Octopuses are carnivores and must eat three times their bodyweight to survive, meaning that copious numbers of fish must be harvested from the ocean to feed them.
 
Commercial octopus farming is currently in development by some companies globally, but initial environmental assesments of farming proposals have shown dire consequences, such as:

- Exacerbation of overfishing and increased bycatch deaths of marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles, etc.,
- Pollution of local water bodies from discharged wastewater and chemicals, harming people and wildlife,
- Intensive energy and water use, causing extensive greenhouse gas emissions,
- Negative impacts on coastal communities, small businesses, and tourism.

Furthermore, despite ongoing research, there is currently no humane way to slaughter octopuses, and current commercial methods involve freezing them alive. Mortality rates in current octopus farming systems are also estimated to be extremely high—20% at best and as high as 50%. Additionally, the octopuses in these farms would experience:

- Boredom and frustration from being trapped in crowded, barren tanks, 
- Injuries from crashing into tank walls, human handling, and aggressive interactions with other individuals,
- Long and painful deaths, since there is no scientifically validated method of humane slaughter for octopuses.

Octopuses should be in the ocean, not in farms. Please use your leadership to make sure octopuses, wildlife, and local communities don't suffer and stop octopus farming before it's too late.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~Region}

Take action for octopuses

Octopuses are remarkable animals. They can change colors and make patterns in an instant, and they jet out ink to escape predators. They have eight arms, three hearts, and no bones. The latest research even suggests that they can feel light.

Octopuses are also considered one of the smartest invertebrates on Earth. Curious, clever, and independent, these animals are known to use tools, manipulate their environment, fool predators and prey, and escape the most precarious of confines.

These animals deserve to live wild and free in the ocean, where they belong. But now, octopuses are under threat from entrepreneurs looking to factory farm them. Mass farming octopus would be especially cruel. Solitary, intelligent, and fragile, octopuses would likely be frustrated and bored in crowded tanks and get easily injured or killed from crashing into tank walls, fighting, human handling, and changes in water properties. Early trials of octopus farming have shown that about one in five octopuses die before reaching slaughter for market.

Factory farming octopuses would also have devastating effects on wildlife. Octopuses are a carnivorous species who must eat three times their bodyweight to survive, meaning that millions of fish would need to be caught and killed from the wild to sustain the farm, worsening overfishing and potentially killing marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles, and other wildlife in bycatch and ghost nets.

Thankfully, Congress recently introduced the OCTOPUS Act, which would BAN octopus farming in the United States and prohibit imports of farmed octopus meat. Tell your Senators to endorse the OCTOPUS Act now!

Email them now

Dear Member of Congress,

Commercial octopus farming is currently in development by some companies globally, but initial environmental assesments of farming proposals have shown dire consequences, such as:

Exacerbation of overfishing and increased bycatch deaths of marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles, etc.,
Pollution of local water bodies from discharged wastewater and chemicals, harming people and wildlife,
Intensive energy and water use, causing extensive greenhouse gas emissions,
Negative impacts on coastal communities, small businesses, and tourism.

Boredom and frustration from being trapped in crowded, barren tanks,
Injuries from crashing into tank walls, human handling, and aggressive interactions with other individuals,
Long and painful deaths, since there is no scientifically validated method of humane slaughter for octopuses.

Octopuses should be in the ocean, not in farms. Please use your leadership to make sure octopuses, wildlife, and local communities don't suffer and stop octopus farming before it's too late.

Sincerely,

Send Your Message to Congress

Protect octopuses from suffering.

Octopus farming is cruel, unnecessary and has no place in our country. Send a message to your Senators NOW and urge them to protect octopuses from factory farming!

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