It's #FishyFriday again and we've sardine, anchovy, plenty of fish and a boat goes up on the slip!

The days are getting shorter with the light not quite in the sky by 7am in Newlyn...

but it's bright enough on the market this #FishyFriday morning...

black bream...

red mullet...

sharks...

shellfish...

tons of mackerel...

monk...

and 12 tons of cuttles...

small squid...

big squid...

and this week's bonus prize for the sarine boats, anchovy!..

line caught squid for sure...

and the march of the octopus continues...

the Rachel & Paul giving young Will a good haul of mackerel again...

while Mr Smith lands himself another big bluefin...

out on the hunt...

dawn patrol...

as the village that must have helped a certain Dylan Thomas create the atmosphere of Under Milk Wood gets bathed in that typical autumn low Newlyn enjoys at this time of year......

Sparkling Star IV looks like she's headed for the slip...

with Jeremy trying to keep her on the straight and narrow...

PD supervising things from the cradle...

while the winch waits...

to haul her ...

up the slip...

and the watchful eye of the tugmeister...

and the man with his finger on the button...

up she comes...

ready for the work under the waterline ...

to begin!

 

Fish, Trace, Ship logo and tag line "Act Now, Are you on board".

75% of fish is exported to the EU

MMO shines Fish, Trace, Ship campaign spotlight on actions to keep UK exports to the EU flowing Generating a catch certificate from the Fish Export Service for a seafood consignment to enter EU markets requires each part of the UK supply chain to meet its data obligations accurately and on time.

From 10 January 2026 additional information will be required for UK businesses to continue exporting, as the EU has updated its data requirements as part of an update of the trading bloc’s Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) regulations.

“An omission of required information or a mistake in reporting at any stage of the journey from catching to shipping could stop a consignment from getting the catch certificate needed for export to the EU.” Says Nick Greenwood, MMO’s Head of Marine Protection & Operations Services.

“That’s why we are now working with each group of stakeholders in the UK supply chain to make sure they’re ready for the additional data the EU will require from early next year.

“Our message is simple – get on board with the changes required for your business right now by visiting our campaign page.

More than 75% of the catches made by UK commercial fishing vessels are destined for export into the EU.

MMO, working with the UK’s Fisheries Administrations, is planning a series of engagement sessions and webinars to enable businesses from the catching, sales, processing and export sectors, to learn in detail exactly what they need to do to comply with the January 2026 changes.

Nick Greenwood added: “Our number one goal is to support industry to continue exporting efficiently when the changes come in to force on 10 January 2026.

“It is critical that each part of the supply chain understands its own obligations and gears up early to make supplying all the required information as simple as possible when the new changes come into force.”

Correct labelling of fish catches at point of first sale has always been a legal requirement – and key to ensuring data flows through the rest of the supply chain.

MMO has been working with fishers to improve their labelling and educating skippers who are failing to meet the requirements of current regulations.

Complying with these UK rules will become even more important once the new EU IUU requirements come into force.

Nick Greenwood says: “Correct labelling when a catch is landed and before it’s sold is crucial to making sure fish can be traced, from where they’re caught right up to where they’re sold to a consumer.

“The data is vital, whether your catch is destined for a local restaurant or for a market in the EU.

“Getting the right information into the supply chain right at the start will support businesses looking to export catches and we urge all fishers to use our guidance to be clear on how to comply with their obligations.”

More information on labelling and traceability is here.

Winners and Losers: An Octopus Boom in the English Channel

Porth Kerris Divers hosted a visit from biologist Lizzie Daly which was broadcast on the BBC's One Show last night featuring the now common appearance of Mediterranean octopus in Cornish waters.

In response to the bloom, Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&SIFCA) is working with local fishermen to assess the impact these creatures with an appetite for lobsters and other shellfish are having on the sea bed environment.

An octopus "bloom" is occurring in the English Channel, as a new generation of common octopuses are developing in seabed dens, with their mothers tending to the eggs. Once hatched, the larval octopuses will disperse. The abundance of these cephalopods is a blessing for some fishermen but a problem for others.

Since 2022, fishers in both northern France and South West England have been catching an increasing number of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). In May 2025, a single trawler operating out of Newlyn, Cornwall, landed a record-breaking 20 tonnes of octopus, valued at £158,000. For some, this surge in abundance is a blessing. The common octopus is a high-value, non-quota species, meaning there's no limit on what can be caught, which can be a boon for the small-scale fishing sector.

However, for many, this influx is a major problem. These intelligent and adaptable predators are entering crab and lobster pots, where they feast on the shellfish inside. This phenomenon, which has occurred before in 1900 and 1950, has left many shellfishermen with no choice but to stop fishing. The influx is of great concern to the South Devon and Channel Shellfishermen fleet. While some fishers are able to make a living by catching octopus, others are seeing a significant drop in their traditional catches.

Alix Harvey, an Ecology Laboratory and Research Aquarium Manager at the Marine Biological Association (MBA), notes that cephalopods like squid, cuttlefish, and octopus are generally "winners" when it comes to changing seas 🦑. Their short lifespan, rapid reproduction, and intelligence enable them to quickly take advantage of new environments.

A Changing Environment

Decades ago, surveys from the 1950s octopus boom showed that octopus larvae originated on the south side of the English Channel. This year, however, octopus have been seen breeding on the English side. After the larvae settle out of the plankton, they need a mild winter to survive, a condition that is becoming more common around southern England as sea temperatures rise.

Fishers and Regulators Adapt Together

In response to the influx, the Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&SIFCA) is working with local fishers. They've clarified existing regulations, specifically the Potting Permit Byelaw, which requires "escape gaps" on crab and lobster pots. These gaps, originally meant to allow juvenile crustaceans to escape, are also a convenient exit for the voracious octopuses after they've eaten the catch.

D&SIFCA has clarified that if fishers are targeting octopus only, they can close the escape gap. However, any crustaceans caught must be returned to the sea. Conversely, if fishing for crab, lobster, or spiny lobster, the escape gap must remain open. This collaborative approach between D&SIFCA and fishers is crucial for gathering evidence on how effective closing the escape gap is for catching octopus.

A recent national meeting brought together fishers, the Marine Management Organisation, and scientists to discuss the situation. The conversation focused on the impacts of the octopus influx, how to protect existing shellfish stocks, and potential management solutions for both the short and long term.

An alignment of environmental factors has once again allowed the common octopus to expand its range into the northern parts of the English Channel. Understanding how long-term climate and ecological trends will affect the future distribution of O. vulgaris is important, as the octopus's fate is tied to the livelihoods of fishers in the region. Interdisciplinary research will be essential for developing policies that support the environment, fishers' livelihoods, and the resilience of coastal communities.

Further Reading

Garstang, W. 1900. The plague of octopus on the south coast, and its effect on the crab and lobster fisheries. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 6: 260-273. doi:10.1017/S0025315400006639

Rees, W.J. and Lumby, J.R. 1954. The abundance of octopus in the English Channel. Journal of The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 33: 515-536.

Schickele, A., Francour, P. and Raybaud, V. 2021. European cephalopods distribution under climate-change scenarios. Scientific Reports 11: 3930 (2021). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83457-w

Full story courtesy of www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/octopus-escape-gaps

Unusual fish on Monday morning's market!

The PZ Food Festival could have done with a bit more of this weather...

as Richard brings the Still Waters up to the harbour offices to dry out in order to finish painting in the waterline...

landing day for the Crystal Sea...

and feeding time for our back from Newfoundland the turnstones...

there are still some spiders crawling around out there...

there's every chance these cracking red mullet will be on a wet fish counter somewhere in London tomorrow...

and maybe a few of these bass...

good to see the Rachel & Paul is proving every bit as productive for young Will as she was for Mr Morley...

some of the guys move just too fast...

Capn'n Cod has been at them too...

no sign of these beasts going quiet just yet...

and the big bluefins are still coming ashore...

signs of the cuttle season maybe underway...

top quality bass...

and some beastly congers too to go with plenty of sardines...

someone's halo is on fire......

the ever-tastyJD...

squid looking for a deepfat fyer's basket...

last of the netters to land over the weekend with hake from the Ygraine...

the rare;y seen stone bass...

and hake from the Silver Dawn...

and Ajax..

the lines being made fast...

to keep the good ship Still Waters safely moored to dry out later as the tide drops away. 

How good was PZ Food Festival?!

There's food festivals and there's food festivals but, according to one well-known chef who attended and has been to more than he can remember there's nothing quite like Penzance's very own - and why? - because every stall, every display, every bit of cookery, every bit of music - everything and everyone are a true reflection of the local scene - not one generic burger van in sight! So hat's off to all concerned!

As this is a fishing blog the focus of attention is unapologetically biased towards all things fishy...

from the demonstrations from local chefs like Jude Kereama and Ben Tunnicliffe who champion locally landed fish...

to all the food stalls that filled the park...

which, by the time Saturday evening came around...

was most definitely channeling Glastonbury...

Cape Cornwall Golf Club's chef was doing his shellfish thing plus lemon sole...

the Heron Inn offered whole mackerel, chowder and Newlyn crab nachos...

or you could spoil yourself with half a dozen of the finest Cornish oysters from Kelp Kitchen...

Argoe by now had sold out of their hand-dive scallops and were busy setting up what was to be something special in the main marquee...

Mackerel Sky were doing their on-the-bridge-in-Newlyn thing, without the big queue!...

next door Time & Tide mixed things up a bit with some 'foreign fayre' amongst the locally sourced fish...

while Silco were doing their take on local crab and lemon sole...

of course there were dozens of other goodies to taste, desserts included...

before it was time to head on up to the Taste Theatre...

where the Argoe team were busy prepping a positively mouthwatering mix of fish dishes...

all thankfully undercover...

two long rows of tables...

where sixty-odd lucky diners diners made new friends and dined in style...

all credit to front of house Frankie, the chefs and the rest of the team from Argoe for a most excellent fishy feast! 

PZ Food estival - one not to be missed!