The Mexican Mayab Mollusk Cooperative will expand its production of baby four-eyed octopus (Octopus maya) in order to expand its sales. The Mexican Mayab Mollusk Cooperative will expand its production of baby four-eyed octopus (Octopus maya) in order to expand its sales.

The 12-member cooperative is managing the first project to raise baby octopus, a species endemic to the region and the basis for a gourmet dish in the United States, European Union and Japan.

“They are in the process of creating a commercial farm; they are past the scientific research and certification phase, and found that it is profitable,” Rubén Peña, a consultant with the non-governmental Produce Foundation and advisor to the fishers in the southeastern state of Yucatán, told Tierramérica.

The farm is able to generate 200 baby octopuses per week, and the growth of the project follows five years of research backed by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.