An unprecedented surge in the common octopus population is impacting the southwest coast of England in May 2025. Fishers are reporting a dramatic increase in octopus catches, with some landing between four and six tonnes a day. This boom, however, is causing significant problems for crab and lobster fishers.
The octopuses are consuming local crab and lobster species, leaving only empty shells in the fishing pots. Some fishers estimate a 70% decline in their crab and lobster catches. The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) is working with fishers to manage the situation and find long-term solutions.
Scientists are investigating the causes of this octopus bloom, considering factors like warmer waters, better food availability, and fewer predators. A local bylaw requiring escape holes in crab pots, intended to conserve juvenile shellfish, is also inadvertently allowing octopuses easy access to prey, exacerbating the problem. The IFCA has agreed to short-term action, allowing fishermen to close the escape hatches if they are only fishing for octopus and release any crabs or lobsters caught.