Octopus has emerged as a dominant target for adult Galician fishing, driven by inorganic growth moves such as Profand and Sofinas in Morocco and strategic alliances with Mauritanian partners like Pescapuerta, Iberconsa, and Pereira. Demand remains robust, and profitability continues to attract attention from fleets migrating toward the north African coast, exporting units under names such as Monte Víos, Portomayor, Playa de Loureiro, or Nuevo Santa María. The cephalopod stands as a premier species with no current substitute in aquaculture.
This topic originated from a research project conducted at the Vigo and Tenerife centers of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, marking the first globally documented effort to reintroduce octopus into captivity. Nueva Pescanova aimed to capitalize on market momentum. The Chapela multinational company outlined a macro-farm initiative along the Galician coast to achieve higher industrial production and construction scales, as described in an Environmental Impact Report published by the Government of the Canary Islands, where a site for the facility was identified.
Pescanova evaluated four potential locations: the Galician coast (region not specified in the document), El Saladero in Tenerife, Castillo del Romeral in Gran Canaria, and the port of Las Palmas. The selected site ended up being the second option, located at La Esfinge Pier on a plot of roughly 52,700 square meters. The group’s aquaculture activities in Galicia include a Turbot farm in Xove and offspring from Mougas (Oia). Under the leadership of Manuel Fernández de Sousa, Pescanova SA, the predecessor of the current company, promoted a major livestock project in Cabo Touriñán, approved during the fiscal period of the former government. After a pause linked to Rede Natura, Sousa redirected efforts toward Mira, Portugal, where the project is now referenced as Flatlantic.
Official documents indicate the facility would cover about 31,000 square meters and require an investment of roughly 51 million euros. While Nueva Pescanova signaled an intent to begin production in 2023 as part of its Value Plan 2020-2024, the project remained at the planning stage two years after procedures began with the island authority. A spokesperson for the fishing company told a Canarian news portal that farm plans for the Canary Islands were still progressing and all steps were being taken to realize them. Construction is expected to span about 30 months, involving not only breeding and fattening tanks but also a warehouse, an ice plant, a loading dock, and office facilities. Seawater would be drawn, treated, and returned, with discharge depths of up to -16 meters and out to 260 meters into the sea.
Product
The target is to reach an annual production of 2,400 tons, a milestone planned for the fifth year of operation. Nueva Pescanova projects three octopuses per cubic meter in fattening tanks, with a one-kilogram juvenile taking eight to fifteen months to reach about three kilograms, a size deemed optimal for market. This timeframe contrasts with other species: turbot reaching around 2.3 kilograms after roughly 900 days, salar salmon at about eighteen months, and Vannamei shrimp achieving sale-size in under five months in intensive systems. The cultivation of octopus for human consumption has sparked debates; some groups label it cruel due to the carnivorous nature of the animal. In response, Brussels has recommended focusing on trophic species that do not require animal feed.
Breeding octopuses for a future Galicia facility would occur at Nueva Pescanova Biomarine Center in O Grove. The Canary plant would become self-sufficient, intensifying its reproductive cycle. Initially, products are planned to be distributed in a clean and frozen state. In a later phase, efforts would move toward developing value-added products that demand greater industrial sophistication. Although the company states that factory plans remain under consideration, the current situation at Nueva Pescanova makes near-term implementation unlikely. After a proposed sale to Canadian Cooke Inc. fell through due to reporting by Faro de Vigo from the Prensa Ibérica group, the owner, Abanca, proposed a refreshed strategic plan and is pursuing it independently. Insiders indicate the plan remains in early stages, with uncertainties about whether the third strategic framework since 2015 will extend to 2019 or beyond.
Budget
The project’s construction budget totals around 51 million euros, covering tanks, underwater outlets, and fattening chambers for cephalopod rearing.
Production
The plan aims for 2,400 tons per year by the fifth year of operation. Three octopuses per cubic meter would populate the fattening tanks, with an estimated commercial size of three kilograms. Initial octopuses would come from Galicia via the Nueva Pescanova Biomarine Center in O Grove, after which the Canary operation would work toward self-sufficiency.