Warming seas bring octopus and bluefin tuna to UK waters

The effects of climate change are becoming impossible to ignore around the UK, with scientists confirming that waters are warming at a rate that is dramatically altering local marine life. Bluefin tuna are now appearing in British seas, and Mediterranean octopus have become a common sight, with significant consequences for the fishing industry and the wider ecosystem.

At Brixham Fish Market in Devon, the usual buying and selling continues, but the focus has shifted to a new invader from the Mediterranean: octopus. Fishermen report record catches, with one day this year seeing 103 tonnes landed. At £5.50 a kilo, it is proving a lucrative trade, with most of the catch exported abroad. However, the boom has a downside: catches of lobster and crab are down. Octopus are entering pots and eating the crabs, leading one fisherman to describe it as "the Spanish Armada come in to take our shellfish."

The fishing industry is adapting. Chefs are learning to cook octopus, which requires boiling before frying or grilling. One restaurant in the area reports selling 15 portions of octopus a day, and there is a sense that British diners are becoming more adventurous. As one chef put it, "people are changing the way they're eating nowadays... I think people will try it once and they will fall in love with it."

Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, which has decades of data from the deep, are concerned. The warming of the English Channel is the key driver. One scientist said, "It does worry me because that means that the system is changing. We've seen relative stability over the last few decades, and with that changing, we don't really know what to expect going forward." The octopus may be here for good, but a cold winter could kill them off, so nothing is certain.

It is not just octopus. Bluefin tuna are also appearing in British waters. Recreational catch-and-release fishing for tuna is growing, with boats from Torquay taking anglers out into the Western Channel. One boat operator noted an economic uptick, with visitors booking multi-day trips, staying in Airbnbs and eating in local restaurants. Victorian seaside towns like St Ives, Newlyn, Falmouth, Fowey, Plymouth and Torquay are seeing renewed interest.

During a recent trip, a tuna was hooked but managed to free itself before it could be measured and released. The brief glimpse was enough to show how the waters around the UK are changing. As the 5 News report concluded, it was "a brief and awesome glimpse of how the waters around our island nation are changing."