Octopus is back on the policy menu for Washington state lawmakers.
A bill to outlaw the sale, possession, transport, and distribution of farmed octopus advanced out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.
“Octopus are intelligent creatures. They’ve shown aptitude for problem-solving,” said Rep. Adam Bernbaum, D-Port Angeles.
He said the bill is not intended to limit the consumption of octopus or to prevent its use “in any number of culinary applications. But if we can make sure that its harvest is done in a more compassionate, less painful way with fewer ecological impacts, we should do so.”
The legislation, which stalled in the same committee last session, passed Wednesday on a party-line vote, with the panel’s six Democrats in favor and its five Republicans opposed.
House Bill 1608 seeks to build on a 2024 law banning octopus farming in Washington.
Rep. Tom Dent, R- Moses Lake, the committee’s lead Republican, agreed that octopuses are intelligent. But his colleagues had “some serious concerns” with the legislation and he had not “got into the weeds” to find ways to make it amenable.
When Washington enacted its prohibition on octopus farms, it was a preemptive move as there were none operating or proposed in the state at the time. Most octopus consumed in restaurants in Washington is wild because there are no large-scale octopus farms anywhere.
A 2021 study by researchers in England found “very strong evidence” that octopi are sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and happiness. An octopus farm would be tough on them, researchers concluded.
Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, authored the 2024 law and sponsored this year’s bill.
It bars knowingly selling, possessing, transporting, or distributing “any species of octopus that is the result or product of aquaculture.” Violations carry a fine of up to $1,000.
“We’re following other states and other countries in trying to protect a pretty unique creature,” he said.
The legislation will be sent to the House Rules Committee, where lawmakers will decide whether to allow a House floor vote on the bill.
This story was originally published in the Washington State Standard.
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