OCTOPUS Act of 2025

The OCTOPUS Act of 2025 would block the U.S. government from authorizing any commercial octopus farming, in the United States and its waters, and would also prohibit the import or reexport of commercially farmed octopus. The bill directs federal agencies to issue a final rule within a year to implement these prohibitions, and it includes a certification requirement for octopus imports to verify they were not commercially aquacultured. It provides limited exemptions for noncommercial uses by accredited aquariums or for certain research, breeding, and display activities. It also requires NOAA to implement reporting on harvest methods for octopus imports. In short, the bill aims to shut down commercial octopus aquaculture in the U.S. and to halt the import and reexport of farmed octopus, with a one-year runway for imports to be fully restricted and a pathway for ongoing exemptions and monitoring.