For fishermen, Britain's climate — driven octopus boom is an opportunity, and a threat

UK octopus landings up nearly 1,500% since 2021 Boom creates export windfall but hits shellfish stocks Value of UK octopus exports up nearly 8,000% in a year By Sam Tabahriti LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) — A surge in octopus numbers in British waters due to unusually warm seas is presenting fishermen with an interesting new catch — albeit one that's devouring one of their usual staples. The value of British octopus exports rose to £12.8 million ($17 million) last year from £164,000 a year earlier, with demand driven largely by buyers in France and Spain, according to industry body Seafish. However, researchers found that more than half of UK fishermen had reported negative impacts from octopus predation on crab, lobster and scallop stocks, with catches in some fisheries falling by 30% to 50% and losses to affected fisheries exceeding £10 million in 2025. Fishermen, regulators and scientists met this week at a government-hosted conference after British octopus landings jumped nearly 1,500% from 2021, rising to more than 3,700 metric tons from an annual average of about 220 tons. The government said on Friday the conference would help inform future decisions on managing the emerging fish