Proponents of the new law said it positions California as a leader in humane aquaculture. They point to a growing body of research that shows raising octopuses for food is cruel, inefficient and detrimental to the environment.
The text of the law recognizes that octopuses are "highly intelligent, curious, problem-solving animals" that are conscious, sentient and experience "pain, stress, and fear, as well as pleasure, equanimity, and social bonds."
In one experiment, eight giant Pacific octopuses were introduced to two people over a two-week period at the Seattle Aquarium. One of them always approached with food in hand, which they gave to the octopuses.
California is now the second state - after Washington - to prohibit octopus farming. Similar legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate and in Hawaii.
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