I think we read a different article. It made it clear it was a legal hunt by a teen who did some homework on it.

Did you read the comments? The locals knew that octopus. The octopus was an attraction for nearby divers.

He killed it and doomed its babies.

The article was written by someone clearly amoral about the whole issue.

That added context makes it sad, but does not make it illegal, which is what you are responding to.

He found a legal way to destroy a highly intelligent living organism for no f* reason at all except his enjoyment. Nothing wrong with that.