HB365 • 2026

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.

Agriculture

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: EVSLIN, GARRETT, GRANDINETTI, KAHALOA, LA CHICA, LOWEN, MARTEN, PERRUSO, POEPOE, QUINLAN, SOUZA, Belatti, Chun
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not address ethical concerns or welfare issues for wild-caught octopuses, though these were mentioned as legislative findings.

Ban on Octopus Farming

This bill prohibits the farming of octopuses in Hawaii for human consumption, excluding wild-caught octopuses and those raised solely for research.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits people from farming octopuses in Hawaii for eating purposes.
Defines 'aquaculture activities' as using land-based systems to raise fish or other sea creatures.
Excludes wild-caught octopuses and those raised only for research from the ban.

Who It Names or Affects

People who farm octopuses in Hawaii
Businesses that sell farmed octopus products

Terms To Know

Aquaculture activities: Using land-based systems to raise fish or other sea creatures.
Octopus: A type of marine animal that is not included in the ban if it is wild-caught or raised only for research.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens to existing octopus farms before July 1, 3000.
It's unclear how enforcement of this ban will be carried out.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment adds a new law that bans the farming of octopuses in Hawaii for human consumption, except those used for research.

Adds a new section to Chapter 141 of Hawaii Revised Statutes prohibiting aquaculture activities involving octopus species for human consumption.
Defines 'aquaculture activities' to include land-based recirculating systems and specifies that the ban does not apply to wild-caught or research octopuses.

The amendment's effective date is set very far in the future (July 1, 3000), which may indicate it is a placeholder for actual implementation details.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-14 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-14 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 648) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-02-12 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-12-25 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to AGR, JHA, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.
Octopus Aquaculture; Prohibition
Prohibits certain octopus aquaculture. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB365

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

365

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to aquaculture
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that octopus farming
poses significant risks for disease transmission to marine environments.
�
Farmed octopuses frequently carry multiple
pathogens, such as coccidial parasites, ichthyobodo protozoa, vibrio bacterial
infections, and dicyemid mesozoans.
�
All
of these pathogens can spread to wild marine environments.
�
For example, coccidial parasites can spread
from farmed octopus to crabs, which can then spread to wild octopus populations
and other marine animals, creating a cycle of reinfection and amplification in
the ecosystem.
�
The legislature further
finds that this spread could have destabilizing effects on the food web and
commercial fishing industries.

����
The
legislature also finds that the practice of octopus farming has raised ethical
concerns due to the advanced cognitive abilities exhibited by these
animals.
�
The legislature additionally
finds that octopus farming practices and conditions, including inadequate
living conditions and confinement, may subject octopuses to stress, compromise
their well-being, and lead to adverse behavioral changes.
�
The absence of guidelines in octopus farming
poses risks of exploitation and potential harm to the welfare of these
intelligent marine creatures.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to prohibit the farming of certain non-wild-caught octopuses for human
consumption.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 141, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part IV to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�141-
�
Octopus
aquaculture; prohibited.

�
(a)
�

No person shall engage in any aquaculture activities in the State that
include the propagation, cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of any
species of octopus for the purpose of human consumption.

����
(b)
�
As
used in this section:

����
"Aquaculture activities" includes
the use of land-based recirculating aquaculture systems.

����
"Octopus" does not include wild-caught
octopuses or octopuses propagated, cultivated, maintained, or harvested only
for research purposes.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

����
SECTION 4.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Octopus
Aquaculture; Prohibition

Description:

Prohibits
certain octopus aquaculture.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.