Last Thursday, 15 October, Defra brought fishermen, scientists and fisheries managers together to talk about the octopus bloom off the South West coast. The figures Defra put out on Friday are striking: since 2021, octopus landed by UK boats into UK ports has gone from around 220 tonnes a year to well over 3,000 tonnes. That is a rise of nearly 1,500%, or roughly fifteen times as much octopus on the quay as a few years ago.
The worry for anyone buying South West shellfish is what all those octopus are eating. Fishermen at the conference said crab and lobster stocks on some grounds had been "decimated" by octopus predation, and with more boats now working the same grounds there is tension and safety concern too. Defra’s own line is that for some this is a valuable new fishery almost overnight; for shellfish fisheries it is a serious threat to their businesses.
Mike Cohen of the NFFO called it "both a threat and an opportunity for fishermen and a massive challenge for fisheries management". Defra’s chief scientific adviser Anjali Goswami said numbers have climbed dramatically off the South West in the last year. No new rules have been announced. Defra and the MMO will publish a summary of the discussions to feed into future decisions, so it is worth keeping an eye on GOV.UK for any measures on the octopus fishery or shellfish grounds.
Day to day, I would do two things. If you sell South West brown crab, lobster or scallop, talk to your boats and merchants now about Christmas quantities rather than waiting for December. Supply looks tighter, and much of this catch comes off small inshore boats, so landings drop fast in a blow and prices can swing week to week. At the same time there is far more British octopus about than any of us are used to, which is a UK-landed line worth trying on the slab.
Octopus is soft, wet and highly perishable, so treat it like fresh fish: well iced, as close to freezing as you can without freezing it, in lidded, drained tubs so meltwater does not sit underneath. Octopus and squid leak ink and slime that stain and smell, so use sealed tubs and rinse the floor and drain channels after every run. If you take frozen octopus, which many chefs prefer for tenderness, keep those boxes well away from your chilled stock and never let them thaw against it.
Quick checklist
- Ask South West suppliers now about Christmas crab, lobster and scallop quantities
- Try a UK-landed octopus line on the slab or your menu list
- Carry octopus in lidded, drained tubs; rinse floor and drains after every run
- Keep frozen octopus separate from chilled fish, never thawing against it
- Check door seals: a salty, wet autumn is hard on them
Also in the news
- Met Office yellow wind warning for southern England and Wales, midnight to midday Friday, gusts 50-60mph: expect disrupted landings and slow coastal driving. Source
- Diesel averaged just under £2 a litre across around 8,000 forecourts in the week to 18 October, edging down slowly; budget on around £2. Source
- A Scottish salmon mortality processor has applied to SEPA to increase its capacity for farm die-offs, one to watch for steady salmon supply into Christmas. Source
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Sources: Octopus explosion off South West prompts talks between fishermen and scientists – GOV.UK, Octopus explosion divides UK fishermen as shellfish fleets suffer heavy toll, South West Octopus Explosion Prompts Talks Fishermen & Scientists – UK Fishing Industry – The Fishing Daily – Irish, UK and European Fishing Industry News, Unsettled week ahead with warning issued – Met Office, Petrol fell 0.4p and diesel fell 0.6p in the week to 18 October 2026, Scottish salmon mortality processor plans to double capacity to handle mass die-offs – Undercurrent News
