Octopus under threat - Searching for clues around the Mediterranean

Octopus is considered a delicacy - grilled, boiled, or fried. But rising demand has consequences, and in several regions of Europe, this intelligent cephalopod is already considered overfished.

Stocks are shrinking dramatically, especially in the Mediterranean. In Greece, illegal traps are often used for fishing. Together with the coast guard, the environmental organization Sea Shepherd has removed thousands of these traps from the seabed - part of a mission against environmental crime.

The film crew embarks on an investigative journey along the coasts of Europe and Africa. In Galicia, northwestern Spain, there are several large fish processing plants that cut up octopuses, freeze them, and prepare them for the international market. Fishing is subject to strict regulations because natural stocks are shrinking rapidly. To meet the high demand, factories are increasingly resorting to imports from African waters.

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