The plight of Devon fishers whose catch has been decimated by a sudden ‘bloom’ of octopus in local waters has been highlighted in the House of Commons.

South Devon Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden called on the government to provide more support for the fishing industry in the wake of the unprecedented increase in the number of octopus off the coast.

Warmer sea temperatures have been credited with the arrival of huge numbers of common octopus in 2025 – the first such bloom seen since 1951.

Fishing industry leaders fear that if the trend continues as the seas continue to warm, the knock-on effect for shellfishers will be serious.

Octopus feast on shellfish, leaving less to be caught. They are also known to find their way into crab pots to eat the contents.

Ms Voaden told the Commons: “My crab and lobster fishermen have seen their catch decimated. They have lost up to 80 per cent, hauling empty pots for weeks on end.

“That means fleet members are now cancelling maintenance work and having to lay off crew.”

She said fishing communities desperately needed support, whether to enable them to stay in the industry or to help them decommission and leave.

“Support is desperately needed from the government,” she said.

Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem, Orkney and Shetland), who chairs the environment, food and rural affairs committee, said the octopus issue was ‘critically important’, as he had seen on two recent visits to Brixham.

Sarah Dyke (Lib Dem, Glastonbury and Somerton), the party’s spokesperson on rural affairs, said the decline in catch was so significant that it was forcing local fishers to consider early retirement or career changes because they are unable to make ends meet.

She went on: “Fishers in South Devon and across the south west need greater support from the government to stay in business while they learn to adapt to these concerning ecological changes, and they require flexibility on catch licences in order to remain in business.”