“The UK government has also declared that octopuses are smarter creatures than any other aquatic creature, and there have been numerous studies proving that they are intelligent.” – Oyster protection experts said. At the same time, Dr. Jacob Winter, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Bristol, says that there are some similarities in the behavior of octopuses and humans, and that both species are descended from a common ancestor.
Not only is the company being asked to abandon the idea of an owl farm, but some protests have already taken place. “No one should accept the octopus meat of the Spanish company Nueva Pescanova and oppose it,” said Dr. John H. Snyder, of the research institute Compassion in World Farming Research. Elena Lara has appealed to governments around the world.
A sea creature that expresses emotions
Stacey Tonk, an employee at the Bristol Aquarium in the UK, says the octopus is a sea creature capable of expressing anger and affection like humans.
“I often open the lid of the tank where I put Davy Jones (abbreviated as an aquarium DJ) and then he tries to get out. .But some days he behaves terribly angrily and does not come out .He sleeps and stays in the tank for hours .Owls live to be 4 years old .Now he’s a teenager .He knows what a teenage man looks like. – Stacey Tonk said about her favorite owl.
The owl is a color-changing creature. So you can see the octopus using different colors to express his mood. If you see owls in orange, you know they are happy and ready to play. Also, when people visit the aquarium from time to time, the octopus is brown with orange. That means they see people with great amazement. It is also a time of curiosity. – Stacey claims.
There have been previous studies on how octopuses change color and structure. Based on this, it was found that octopuses also adapt to strategic escape from predators. In order to escape from many creatures such as birds, sharks and whales, octopuses quickly change their color and structure into inanimate objects. Or they have the ability to use their long legs to crawl into rocks and crevices.
Moreover, scientists say that octopuses that originated on Earth 500 million years ago have ‘scientific abilities’. They can understand information from the environment, memorize it and make decisions. Researchers also say that octopuses have the ability to retaliate against enemies, remembering their enemies’ color, shape, texture, or taste and remembering them for months.
Amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill
The UK government has recently added a number of sea creatures to its list of sensible and intelligent creatures, including octopuses, squid, crabs and prawns. The government’s decision is based on research reports that they are creatures that cause emotions such as pain, hunger, thirst, heat, happiness and excitement.
According to the amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill, the welfare and risk of these marine life will be taken into consideration when the government takes decisions related to animal welfare. Therefore, animal lovers, including Stacy Tonk, are preparing to protect the octopus by highlighting an amendment to the bill.
Business through challenges
New Pescanova aims to produce 3,000 tons of oyster meat each year. But the biggest challenge for the company was to find a convenient place for it. This led to numerous investigations and arrangements were made to raise octopuses in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands.
“There is fierce competition in the fisheries sector. This is due to the growing demand for seafood, which is why aquaculture (farming seafood) is being developed as a way to ensure safe, healthy and controlled resources.” – says on the company’s website.
Currently, Mexico, Japan and Australia include oysters in their seafood. In Japan and Mexico, the use of octopus meat is part of their culture and general diet. Oyster soups are also found in Asia, the Mediterranean and the US. In addition, the BBC reports that octopuses are sometimes eaten alive in South Korea.
The UK-based website Ladbible says that as the use of octopuses has increased globally, many countries have been thinking about the concept of octopus farms for years. But many have given up trying because it is not easy to create the right conditions for the octopus to grow. That is why the world is watching in amazement the Spanish company’s attempt to raise kilos of octopuses on their own farms.
****
Source: BBC, LadBible, LiveScience | Compiled by Bhadra Chandran
.