FRUSTRATION is rising among coastal communities as there is still no answer as to why thousands of dead crustaceans washed up on the region’s beaches.
The phenomena of scores of dead crabs, lobsters and even octopuses spotted on Teesside and North Yorkshire beaches was first reported in early October.
And after more than two months of multi-agency investigations, the cause remains a mystery.
Read more: Why a decision on plans for a major service station on the A1 has been delayed
James Cole chairman of Whitby Fishermen’s Association says anger is rising among affected communities who feel that the matter is being brushed under the carpet.
He firmly believes that the shellfish deaths were caused by deeper dredging of the River Tees to accommodate larger vessels for the Freeport.
He and other fishermen believe that this dredging unleashed chemicals into the sea that had lain dormant on the riverbed for decades after accumulating during Teesside's industrial past.
However, the Environment Agency has ruled out chemical pollution as a likely cause and said that dredging was not responsible for the deaths.
Mr Cole also maintains that the sealife affected extends beyond crabs and lobsters, with fishermen and anglers reporting dead octopuses and limpets 'dropping dead off rocks' along the coastline.
An online meeting was held last week between officials investigating the cause and members of the fishing community to update those affected by the damage to coastal sealife.
Mr Cole said emotions ran high as fishermen don’t feel enough has been done to establish what happened - and more importantly to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
He said: “I just can’t understand why they are keeping a lid on it at all when it is a matter of public health.
“If they put us commercial fishermen out of business then we can walk away and stack shelves at Sainsbury’s or whatever, but it is about the environmental and social impact.
“If you damage the coastline and are reckless with the eco-system is is about more than just jobs."
Read more: Calls for water firm to take 'urgent action' over raw sewage dumped in rivers
Mr Cole said that some inshore fishermen have reported a 95 reduction in their catch rates and there is concern that whatever killed the crabs and lobsters could enter the wider aquatic foodchain.
He added: "80 per cent of people who come to Whitby come to eat Whitby cod and fish.
"If people think they could be affected by it, what are they going to eat?
"Will they still come? Is it going to affect tourism?"
He added: "All we get from the various agencies and government bodies is that 'we are trying our best' but they have still not got to the heart of the problem."
Sarah Jennings, operations manager from the Environment Agency, said she understood how distressing the incident has been and establishing the cause was a top priority.
Scientists working off the coast to establish the cause
She added: “We’ve used both traditional and innovative screening methods to analyse samples of water, sediment and crab looking for traces of contamination.
“We’ve screened for over 1,000 potential chemical contaminants but found no anomalies that could lead to an event of this scale.
“Our environment officers have also reviewed environmental permits and scrutinised industrial sites in the Teesside area, but again found no evidence of abnormal discharges that could lead to an event of this scale.
“In a bid to better understand the scale of the incident, our survey vessel the Humber Guardian has taken samples from the seabed, which show that that only crabs and lobsters appear to be affected.
“By combining this evidence we have ruled out chemical pollution and sewage as likely causes, and the investigation will now focus more on whether disease or a natural event could have been responsible for the deaths.”
Investigators have previously ruled out sewage, undersea cabling, seismic survey activity or dredging as likely causes.
Read more: Picture shows 'apocalyptic' devastation to crabs and sea life on North East beach
Mike Gubbins, head of the Fish Health Inspectorate at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) said: “We are continuing to investigate whether an aquatic animal disease has caused this mortality.
“Our Fish Health Inspectorate have been analysing shellfish samples collected from the area for listed and other non-listed diseases, but none have been detected so far.
“We will continue to work with partner agencies to try and find answers for the local community.”
Other agencies involved in the investigation are North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA), the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Food Standards Agency UK and Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Anyone who finds dead crustaceans (crabs or lobsters) or other dead wildlife along the coastline should report them to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated North Yorkshire Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here