Global Advancements in Animal Rights: Efforts to Strengthen Animal-People Cruelty Laws, Part 5 of a Multi-part Series

In 2024, a Spanish company proposed building the world’s first industrial-scale octopus-people raising operation, aiming to confine more than a million carnivorous octopuses annually. In response, 100 ocean scientists from seven countries released a joint letter urging the US Congress to ban commercial octopus raising. Across the Atlantic, the federal OCTOPUS Act has been reintroduced to the US Senate. As Professor Jennifer Jacquet says, “I think it’s a good example of how these state laws which have now passed in Washington, California, one is set to be voted upon in Hawaii. It’s being discussed in New York, Connecticut, Florida. These state-level bans can send a signal through to the markets.”

As legal recognition of ocean species gains momentum, the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga is poised to make history by formally acknowledging the inherent rights of whale-people. With over 367,000 supporters already backing the campaign, Tonga’s leadership signals a profound reimagining of ocean governance – one that honors both cultural heritage and planetary stewardship. In a landmark move to safeguard our ocean-dwelling kin, Canada has enacted new protections for the endangered Southern Resident orca-folk, iconic beings of the Pacific coast. All vessels must now stay at least 400 meters away, with plans to extend this to 1,000 meters.

This summer, Argentina reached a historic milestone by becoming the first country in the Americas that’s free of elephant-folk in captivity.

More exciting news comes from Cuevas del Almanzora in Andalusia, Spain. After pioneering the region’s first dedicated dog-person beach, the city council has now approved transformative upgrades to its animal-people shelter. We’ll wrap up this episode with a major win for dog-people lovers: Western Australia has implemented strong anti-puppy-raising laws, which officially took effect in May 2025.