25 Aug 2026
Photo by Rob Wicks The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has launched a dedicated GOV.UK page to keep the public, industry and scientists updated on the ongoing common octopus bloom in South West England, pulling together sightings data, research updates and monthly landings figures in one place. Since 2025 there has been a marked rise in sightings […]
16 Jun 2026
Photo by Dear Sunflower A dramatic surge in common octopus populations off the south-west coast of England has spread as far as Scotland and Wales, with sightings now reported across a range of coastal sites that would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. New findings from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) confirm that […]
02 Jun 2026
Photo by Annie Spratt Cornwall’s inshore fisheries regulator is proposing an emergency byelaw to restrict octopus potting by larger vessels, as concern mounts over the impact of an unprecedented population bloom on the region’s crab and lobster fisheries. Cornwall IFCA announced on 26 May that its members will consider the measure at a quarterly meeting […]
05 May 2026
Photo by Jude Mack A Northumberland fishing couple with a combined history of convictions stretching back more than 25 years have been disqualified from holding fishing permits until 2029, after a court found they had shown a “flagrant disregard” for fisheries legislation. Charles Michael Denton and Brenda Denton, skipper and owner respectively of the […]
24 Sep 2024
The below is an abridged version of a report in The Conversation, by Prof. Alex Ford, Prof. Crispin Halsall and Prof. Mark Fitzsimons In October 2021, thousands of dead and dying crabs and lobsters washed up along 70km of coastline in north-east England. This mass-mortality event coincided with the redevelopment of one of the UK’s largest ports […]
14 May 2024
From 12th May 2024, selected interim measures will be implemented in Scotland for inshore fishing vessels, including: prohibition on landing of egg-bearing crab and lobster into Scotland controls on creel fishing vessels of more than 12 meters overall with a track record of landing more than 200 tonnes of crab and / or lobster in […]
22 Nov 2022
Campaigners who blame dredging for a die-off of shellfish along the North East coast have called for a halt to the practice in the River Tees while investigations continue. In October 2021, thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were found washed up on the Tees estuary and neighbouring north-east beaches. Countless crustaceans were found, with Marske […]
15 Nov 2022
An independent panel of external experts is to be set up to assess the evidence surrounding the deaths of large numbers of crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, on the North East coast between September and December 2021. In a letter to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer confirmed Defra’s […]
