Large Octopus Haul 'A Boost for Fishing Industry'

Cornish Trawler Nets Record £158K Catch as Octopus Boom Continues in UK Waters

A Newlyn-based fishing vessel has landed a record-breaking catch worth £158,000, thanks largely to a massive haul of Mediterranean octopus, which has been surging in number across UK waters.

The 42-metre beam trawler Enterprise was operating near the Channel Islands in an area known as the Mare Deep when its crew hauled in nearly 20 tonnes of octopus. The catch, valued at about £142,000, accounted for roughly 90% of the record total — a new high for Newlyn port.

The octopus influx, while lucrative for some, has been troubling for others. Their growing numbers have disrupted the South West’s shellfish industry, as the creatures prey on crabs and lobsters inside fishing pots.

Enterprise skipper George Stevens, who has led the vessel for the past year, acknowledged the tension. “It’s been a good payday,” he said. “But I like to think we’ve done the industry a favour by removing a few. One man’s famine is another man’s feast.”

This isn’t the first record for the Enterprise — the vessel previously set a Newlyn record with an £87,000 catch in 2022.

Unusual Challenge at Sea

Stevens described the octopus haul as a physical challenge for the crew, who are more accustomed to handling fish. “They’ve got big tentacles and they grip tight. My crew only have two arms; these things have eight legs,” he joked.

“They were climbing down elevators, over bins, even up walls. But once they hit the ice in the fish room, they calmed down.”

Wider Industry Impact

The dramatic rise in octopus numbers has caught the attention of marine scientists and raised questions about broader environmental shifts. Dr Emma Sheehan, a marine ecology expert at the University of Plymouth, said the phenomenon could be linked to improved habitat quality, climate change, and reduced fishing pressure.

Meanwhile, fishermen in Devon have voiced concerns, calling the surge an “invasion” that is harming their livelihoods.

Looking Ahead

Paul Trebilcock, managing director of W Stevenson & Sons Ltd, the company that owns the Enterprise, said most of the octopus catch was processed at Newlyn fish market and sold to Ocean Fish, a major seafood supplier in the South West. The bulk of it has been exported to markets in Spain, Italy, and France, where demand for octopus is high.

“We rarely see octopus on menus in the UK,” Trebilcock noted. “But with this new fishery emerging, perhaps that will change.”