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A plan to build the world's first octopus farm has raised deep concerns among scientists over the welfare of the famously intelligent creatures.

The farm in Spain's Canary Islands would raise about a million octopuses annually for food, according to confidential documents seen by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

They have never been intensively farmed and some scientists call the proposed icy water slaughtering method "cruel." The Spanish multinational behind the plans denies the octopuses will suffer.

The confidential planning proposal documents from the company, Nueva Pescanova, were given to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ by the campaign organisation Eurogroup for Animals.

Nueva Pescanova sent the proposal to the Canary Islands' General Directorate of Fishing, which has not responded to a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ request for comment.

Newshour's Razia Iqbal has been speaking to Dr Elena Lara, who has conducted a major study into octopuses and works for the group Compassion in Farming.

(Photo: Octopus on display at a market in Valencia. Credit: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ)

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