Summary:
- This article discusses the controversy surrounding taxpayer-funded research into octopus farming in New Zealand. Octopus farming is a highly controversial practice due to concerns about the welfare of the animals and the environmental impact.
- The article highlights the strong opposition from scientists, animal welfare advocates, and the public to the government's decision to allocate funding for this research. They argue that octopus farming is an "atrocious idea" and that the money would be better spent on more ethical and sustainable forms of aquaculture.
- The article also explores the potential economic and scientific benefits that the government claims could come from octopus farming, but these are outweighed by the ethical and environmental concerns raised by the critics of the research.