Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is aware of an octopus bloom which is occurring in the southwest, most prominently in ICES division 7.e.
Concerns have been raised by industry members regarding the impacts being observed in shellfish fisheries and effects on stocks in the surrounding areas.
MMO recently met with fisheries managers and scientists to discuss the bloom and the issues and opportunities it may bring and consider potential actions required.
Octopus is included in the Channel Demersal Non-Quota Species Fisheries Management Plan, due to their increasing abundance in the South West English Channel. Short term measures for Octopus are to monitor catches and designing a research plan for gathering data and considering management of the fishery. MMO have been collating landings information, and research into the viability of a UK Octopus fishery is being developed. To improve the evidence base MMO have produced species ID cards for Common, Horned and Curled octopus, to support better reporting of landings, these ID cards are available upon request at local MMO offices.
MMO will soon look to reconvene with industry representatives and further discuss the issues and provide updates on the work being undertaken to understand the fishery and its impacts across stocks.
