The Mexican Senate is considering an amendment to the General Law on Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that seeks to prohibit the farming of octopuses and other cephalopods throughout the country. This initiative places Mexico on the same legislative path initiated by Chile in 2025, which proposed a preventative ban on this activity before it develops on an industrial scale.
The proposal was introduced on February 25, 2026, by Senator Maki Esther Ortiz Domínguez in the Senate. The bill aims to prohibit the breeding, pre-fattening, and fattening of any cephalopod species within the national territory, including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish. It also stipulates that authorities will not grant concessions or permits for the establishment of farms dedicated to these species.
The legislative proposal is based on the precautionary principle, a regulatory approach used when there is scientific evidence of potential environmental or animal welfare impacts before an industry expands. In this case, the project points out that octopus aquaculture poses risks related to marine ecosystems, fisheries production, and the management of species with complex behaviors.
Mexico could become one of the first countries in Latin America to ban octopus aquaculture if the reform is approved by Congress.
The discussion in Mexico comes after Chile introduced a bill in 2025 to prohibit the industrial farming of octopuses. That proposal arose as a preventative measure against the development of aquaculture farms intended to produce cephalopods.
In both countries, the discussion focuses on preventing the establishment of an emerging industry before large-scale commercial operations exist.
The Mexican legislative document also mentions similar initiatives in other jurisdictions. In the United States, states such as California and Washington passed laws to prohibit octopus farming in aquaculture facilities and restrict the sale of products from these farms.
This set of measures is part of an international debate on the viability of octopus farming in intensive food production systems.
The legislative proposal cites the results of research conducted in Sisal, Yucatán, where a facility dedicated to octopus farming operates in collaboration with Mexican academic institutions.
According to data cited in the initiative, trials conducted over more than a decade recorded mortality rates exceeding 50% in the farming systems.
Episodes of cannibalism were also documented among the animals kept in captivity, a behavior that researchers have linked to confinement and density conditions in aquaculture facilities.
The aforementioned records were included in the legislative analysis as part of the assessment of the biological and productive viability of this activity.
The proposal also points out that octopus consumption in Mexico comes primarily from artisanal fishing, an activity that sustains coastal economies in states such as Yucatán, Campeche, and Baja California.
Several academic studies and international organizations have analyzed the viability of octopus aquaculture and the challenges associated with this activity.
Scientific research on cephalopod aquaculture identifies recurring technical problems in maintaining these species in captivity. These include cannibalism among individuals, difficulties in raising larvae in early stages, and the need for diets based on crustaceans or fish.
Octopuses also have biological characteristics that complicate their intensive production. They are carnivorous, solitary animals with complex nervous systems compared to other marine invertebrates.
Studies on animal neurobiology indicate that cephalopods have advanced nervous systems and behaviors associated with learning, memory, and responses to painful stimuli.
Peer-reviewed research also warns that industrial octopus farming could generate environmental impacts related to the discharge of organic waste and the use of wild fish as feed in aquaculture systems.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has indicated that the development of octopus aquaculture faces technical and biological limitations that hinder its commercial expansion.
Source: proceso
