Attack of the Octopus: UK Fishermen Drowning in Tentacles
When veteran fisherman Brian Tapper hauled up his 1,200 crab pots off the southwest coast of England this spring, he expected crabs. What he got instead? Tentacles. Lots of them.
By March and April, the pots were nearly empty. Come May, they were brimming—but with octopuses devouring everything inside. Now, they’re back to empty again.
A Tentacle Takeover
Along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, warming seas have triggered the largest octopus boom in 75 years. And they’re not just showing up for tea—they’re feasting on crabs, lobsters, and anything else unlucky enough to share a trap.
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Tapper’s wife had to shut down her crab-processing plant.
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Catches have dropped by half—and could be down 75% for the year.
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“I’ve never seen anything like this in 39 years. It’s like a pandemic,” Tapper says.
The numbers back him up: in just six months, UK fishermen landed 1,200 tons of octopus—compared to under 80 tons last year.
Winners, Losers, and Tentacles Everywhere
Some boats struck gold, selling octopus at premium prices. But many others caught nothing. Meanwhile, crab and lobster stocks are in freefall. “They’re eating native species at a terrifying rate,” says seafood supplier Sue MacKenzie.
Restaurants and fishmongers are improvising. “This is the first year we’ve ever bought octopus,” admits Caroline Bennett of Sole of Discretion. “We simply don’t have crabs to sell.”
A Short, Savage Life Cycle
Marine scientists say the explosion comes from warming waters, where octopuses are now breeding in British seas. The catch? They live fast, die young, and gorge on everything before reproducing. Think: the rockstars of marine biology.
But that doesn’t comfort Tapper. “Crabs take 5–10 years to recover. I don’t have that long to pay my bills,” he sighs.
So, What’s Next?
An emergency research panel is on the case, with findings due in October. But for now, the message is clear: the octopus invasion is real, it’s scary, and it might be here to stay.
HPurple