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 of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) around the South West, with the surge continuing into 2026 and, as EnvironmentJournal reports, spreading northwards along the coastline as far as Scotland over the past eighteen months. The new page consolidates material previously scattered across updates from MMO and government, stakeholder engagement work, scientific research and monitoring activity, and monthly octopus and shellfish landing figures. Infographics that had been shared through the South West Regional Fisheries Group will now appear on the page instead, updated monthly.

A single point of reference

Tim Dixon, Head of Fisheries Management at MMO, said the aim was to cut through the volume of interest the bloom has generated. “The octopus bloom has understandably sparked huge interest, and we want to make sure everyone can easily find reliable, up-to-date information in one place,” he said. “This new webpage does exactly that, and the reporting portal means anyone who spots an octopus can help us build a fuller picture of what’s happening in our waters and respond.”

At the centre of the new page is an octopus reporting portal, aimed at divers, recreational anglers and other members of the public who do not already submit commercial landings data. MMO says these sightings will be combined with commercial fisheries data to help build a clearer picture of where octopus are appearing and whether the bloom is spreading into new areas, a process the Fishing Daily reports MMO hopes will sharpen understanding of the population’s true extent.

Policy context

Common octopus and curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) already feature in two non-quota species fisheries management plans, the Southern North Sea FMP and the Channel demersal FMP. Both were drawn up before the recent surge in sightings and landings, but already contain actions to improve understanding of octopus species through monitoring, research and evidence gathering, which MMO says will help determine whether further steps are needed.

The scale of the shift prompting this response has been well documented elsewhere. The State of the South-West’s Seas 2025 report, produced by the South-West Marine Ecosystems programme with contributions from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, links the bloom to localised marine heatwaves recorded in the region since 2023 and notes knock-on effects on predators such as Risso’s dolphins, which appear to be benefiting from increased numbers of octopus and cuttlefish.

MMO says it continues to work with fishermen, scientists and other stakeholders to monitor landings and gather evidence on the bloom’s effects on other fisheries such as crab, lobster and scallops, on the wider marine environment, and on the potential for a viable octopus fishery. Funding for octopus-related research and industry diversification is also available through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, a Defra grant scheme administered by MMO.