The Kanaloa Octopus Farm in Kona on the Big Island once alleged it bred octopuses for food. On the other hand, the owner now says the purpose of the farm was research. No matter what was said, a hugely profitable petting zoo was being operated until last month. It was shut down for various reasons, which we’ll tell you about below. According to PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), this business “subjects animals to the stress of transport, alien environments, irregular feeding and watering, mishandling, and crowds of strangers.”
Farm made up to $108,000 a month through octopus petting.
Think about it from the animal’s point of view. You are a day octopus with a 1-year life span, captured and put into a big sink, then have 60 strangers a day petting you. For years the Kanaloa Octopus Farm operated in plain view. It was featured five years ago on a Honolulu TV Station in a segment sponsored by the Hawaii Island Visitors Bureau. After seven years in business, however, the farm was served with a cease and desist order in January. We’re left wondering why it took seven years to shut it down if the operation was not in accordance with the law.
Before it was closed, they were charging visitors $60 to pet a day octopus caught in the wild. The farm reportedly hosted octopus petting tours three times a day for a total of 60 visitors daily. It is reported that the farm holds from 15 to 20 animals in small 100-gallon tubs until they die.
The cease and desist order came from the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources.
The state told owner Jacob Conroy that the farm violated state law by possessing and breeding “regulated species of aquatic life without the required permits.” The state said it is also illegal to keep day octopuses of less than one pound, which may have been taken from a Big Island area without a permit.
Conroy claims that the allegations are incorrect and that he is working with the state to ensure complete compliance. He claims they do not “work with Day Octopuses under one pound.” He also claims that most farm octopuses come from local fishermen who typically sell them as fishing bait. Conroy said, “Our octopuses are typically injured animals others don’t want. We feed them and care for them, allowing them to recover.”
An interview with the farm manager conflicted with what the owner alleges. He said they work with octopuses of less than 1 gram in weight.” He also said that the animals come from someone “who actually catches them for us. He’s just really good at it. He just knows how to find octopus.”
The owner contradicted the employee and said that the octopuses being referred to are of the crescent variety, which is unregulated.
The state says a permit for “special activities” is needed to continue operations. If issued, which appears unlikely, that would permit taking or possessing the otherwise prohibited octopuses.
In the interim, visitors to the octopus farm should know that the operation is closed. We were told that the farm is now focused on squid farming instead.
Visitors may have been misled into thinking they were helping.
In countless comments found on social media, visitors noted that they were happy to be helping octopuses through these petting tours. One recent visitor said they were glad to be “Helping them survive. We enjoyed interacting with them: feeling their tentacles wrap around our fingers, watching them change colors, seeing them intrigued by toys, and even feeding them shrimp!”
Another recent comment included, “Being able to interact with the Octopuses and feel them wrapping their tentacles around my fingers was a truly exceptional and rare experience. Looking into their eyes… is amazing. Where else could you enjoy this experience?
But another visitor just before the operation was closed said, “We were saddened to see the octopuses in plastic tubs and not a natural environment. They have been trying to breed them since 1970 without success. This is not a research facility, as we are led to believe, but a tourist site. Octopuses are intelligent animals, and we were sorry we helped finance this business.”
Octopus farm runs afoul of both authentic research and animal rights.
The Kanaloa Octopus Farm has been criticized for its cruel treatment of day octopuses. The animals are described as intelligent, playful, and curious. It’s widely alleged that the operation was merely a very profitable “petting zoo” where wild animals were caught and imprisoned in “sinks” to entertain high-paying visitors.
On the other hand, the owner and farm manager both contend they are researching the breeding of day octopuses so that “in case anything ever does happen to the (wild) populations,” they will have the means to reintroduce them. That appears not to be the case, however. Scientists have said that raising octopuses from eggs in captivity is impossible. That has been tried and failed in both Spain and Japan.
More octopus legislation is upcoming.
States are looking to move against octopus farms after the Big Island one went public. Washington State has introduced a thus far unopposed bill to ban octopus farming. There is currently no federal or state protection for octopuses.
The greedy the human species & what great lengths humans go to exploit, every living beautiful creature gifted to us.
Is this not why we have government.
This company should never bee Allowed to operate 7 days little alone 7 years!
.. for those of you that paid to have Octopuses wrap around your finger…you can sugar coat it anyway you want but Your just as greedy to experience this.
Those poor creatures living in a tubinstead of thier natural habitat!!!
I am so saddened to hear that the Kanaloa Octopus farm has been closed down. We have enjoyed and visited this farm every trip since we heard about it. Calling it a petting zoo is a misleading statement. There is no way you can pet the octopuses. They choose to interact with each person. The choice is totally theirs. And they decide who they want to interact with.
I saw only care and concern for the octopuses when I visited them. And the interaction with the Octopuses were one of the highlights of my life.
The National Resource center for Cephalopods (Galveston Tx.) has been breeding Squid, Octopuses and cuttlefish for decades for biomedical research. The problem is that all cephalopods have an incredibly poor FCR (food conversion ratio) which means a lot of money to feed and close the cycle. In Conroy’s touch tank, it is either lack of skillset to raise Octopus or non desire to invest in feed infrastructure to raise the larvae. Much easier, cheaper and profitable to say its impossible and let folks just play with them for a fee.
What is as outrageous is the fact that the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) allowed an illegal activity to go unchallenged for 7 years
I find it even more outrageous that the State of Hawaii had this going on, advertised in multiple media forms, and they knew nothing about it?
How about those whale war episodes where the Yishin Maru whaling ship has the word “Research” on the side if it. They are only lying to themselves. We all know it’s a commercial whaling ship.
I am curious how this is any different than the seahorse farm on the Big Island? As cool as it was to see seahorses there I’m pretty sure they too would be happier in their natural environment.
I agree. We recently visited the seahorse farm on BI. While my 5 year old daughter loved it, I was skeptical. The tour guide said the top reasons for seahorse endangerment are climate chance, overfishing, and the pet industry. Yet they are raising the seahorses to be sent off as pets to people. It had me raising an eyebrow, and left with an uneasy feeling.
I too can understand why you feel uncomfortable. Until there is some kind of controls in place on the “industry” and ethical standards I wonder if this would be the answer. “Farming” of aquatic species could be the answer to continually robbing the ocean, but how many of these would be needed to supply the wants of people? Controls must be placed.
Nobody made a film called “My seahorse teacher”
I feel that the State of Hawaii is doing the right thing. And the $60.00 charge is insane. Did the owner think about human skin conditions and transmissions? Thank you to Hawaii and PETA for their hard work.
Greed never ceases to find new areas to exploit. Would these same people enslave people claiming to be Researching how to counter and deter others from Slavery? Surely it appears that way. 😳 Inter species Slavery ending in death, if extraterrestrials are real is there any doubt as to why they don’t want to meet humans?
The plural form of Octopus is definitely not octopuses. As a journalist you should know better!
Octopuses or octopods are both correct
Is that all you got out of this article… teacher????
Really?
How did this happen? Follow the money. That’s how it happened. I mean this company was promoted on TV shows, the internet , at etc. Hawaii government straight up allowed this to happen.
Outside haoleez who migrate to Hawai’i who practice further exploitation of native Hawai’ian creatures of the sea which is similar as raping the tide pools and coastal reefs of native fishes for personal aquariums worldwide.
They couldn’t do this in plain site without a business license and permits. Say what you want about haloes John, but they wouldn’t be doing this without the blessing of big government. So it’s either straight corruption or laziness . 7 years is a long time to be operating a ‘illegal’ business that’s not hiding what they do
I wonder if competitive spearfishing is as bad, as it’s not like we see competitive spearfishers protesting and picketing to end commercial fishing. Hmmm.