California lawmakers have approved a bill that would make it illegal to farm squid in state waters or on land, as well as to import them.
The bill, AB 3162, is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, awaiting his signature — or his veto.
Proponents of the bill say the legislation is needed to position California as a leader in humane aquaculture. They point to a growing body of research showing that the eight-legged creatures are self-aware and highly intelligent, and that turning them into food production material is cruel, inefficient and harmful to the environment.
The law prohibits all agricultural activities involving the “propagation, cultivation, maintenance or harvesting of any species of squid for human consumption.” It would also prevent business owners, retailers and restaurateurs from “knowingly engaging in the sale” of any squid raised or reared in such a manner.
The bill received unanimous approval on the Senate floor and overwhelming bipartisan support in the Assembly — with 59 voting in favor of the squid farm ban and 10 voting against.
“This is a key moment, not just in California but around the country, in the effort to protect octopuses from the suffering that other animals already face in factory farms,” Jennifer Hauge, director of legislative affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said in a statement.
If the bill becomes law, California would join Washington as the second state to ban squid farming. Legislation has also been introduced in the US Senate and in Hawaii.
“California showed unanimous agreement and foresight in protecting squid from mass production,” said Jennifer Jacquet, professor of environmental science and policy at the University of Miami. “We know that what happens in California has an impact on what happens federally. … Americans want to keep octopuses wild.”
A spokesman for the California Aquaculture Assn. had no comment, only noting that the trade association’s board decided not to get involved in the bill.