Never mind, "didn't see them coming" - when, or will they go and if they do what will be left behind?!
For the last few months, in ports all along the southwest, hundreds of new, and old, pots have been appearing on the quays - not because of an increase in shellfish like crab and lobster crawling into pots across the seabed, quite the opposite - the octopus 'bloom' as it is referred to, has seen a huge drop in shellfish catches as fishermen everywhere have seen their pots inundated with Mediterranean octopus
are now deploying them on patches of ground that once were guaranteed to provide a living from crab, spider crab, velvet crab, lobster, and crawfish...
since the start of the season some eight weeks ago, this boat has landed eight lobsters in total, and when hauling his 80 pots is finding nothing else in them...
other than the new kid on the block, Mediterranean octopus.
Although the first signs of them arriving on our shores were there some five years ago it was only last year when, in an unprecedented alliance between Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council, and DEFRA launched a major scientific study to investigate a rare bloom of common octopus (*Octopus vulgaris*) in the waters of South West England. First reported by local fishermen whose traditional crab and lobster catches were abruptly replaced by the predators, this rapid, locally-led response aims to uncover the causes and ecological consequences of the surge, which scientists link to climate-driven warming seas. Led by Dr. Bryce Stewart of the Marine Biological Association alongside scientists from Plymouth University and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the project integrates advanced monitoring techniques—such as baited remote underwater videos and time-lapse cameras—with the real-time, quayside insights of local fishers to track octopus behavior and ultimately build early warning systems for future climate-related marine disruptions.
"The MMO is looking to develop a proactive, long-term strategy for monitoring, gathering evidence on, and managing future octopus fisheries sustainably. Given the nature of octopus population dynamics, there is uncertainty around whether they will remain abundant in the future to support a viable fishery. With this in mind, the MMO is hoping to develop an Octopus Management Plan that considers various possible scenarios, outlining different approaches that can be taken using international best practice and the input of stakeholders to inform the MMO’s direction"
On the back of the serious scientific studies being carried out, filmmaker and diver David Palfrey has put together a short film telling the story from the perspective of how fishing, and other industries are dealing with this phenonemen.
Below, is a non-technical summary of the MBA's scientific report,
Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) blooms off the Southwest of the UK: History, trends, causes and consequences
which was published in January 2026..
