GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 293
Short Title: Marine Life Stewardship Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Harrison, Ball, Belk, and Morey (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Agriculture and Environment, if favorable, Commerce and Economic
Development, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 6, 2025
*H293 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT A QUACULTURE OF ANY SP ECIES OF OCTOPUS FOR 2
PURPOSES OF HUMAN CO NSUMPTION. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Article 16A of Chapter 113 of the General Statutes is amended by 5
adding a new section to read: 6
"ยง 113-219. Aquaculture of any species of octopus unlawful. 7
(a) For the purposes of this section, the term "octopus" means a cephalopod mollusk with 8
a soft body and eight limbs belonging to the order Octopoda and does not include wild caught 9
octopuses or octopuses propagated, cultivated, maintained, reared, or harvested only for research 10
purposes unrelated to commercial production. 11
(b) No person shall engage in the aquaculture of any species of octopus in the State for 12
the purpose of human consumption. 13
(c) No business entity shall sell, possess, or transport any species of octopus in the State 14
that is the result or product of aquaculture. 15
(d) A person who violates any provision of this section, or any rule or regulation adopted 16
pursuant thereto, shall be subject, upon order of a court, to a civil penalty not to exceed one 17
thousand dollars ($1,000) per day of the violation, and each day during which the violation 18
continues shall constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense. 19
(e) The Department may adopt rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this 20
section." 21
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 22