A national charity has urged the government to open an “urgent investigation” into the mass die-offs of crustaceans along the North East coast in a significant intervention.

The RSPB has weighed in on the uncertainty surrounding the cause of hundreds of dead marine life washing up along the coastline, mainly in Teesside and North Yorkshire.

Charity officials also called for a temporary end to dredging on the River Tees.

It comes as government department Defra has been accused of a “cover up” as it allegedly failed to disclose the true reason behind the deaths.

But Defra has insisted joint investigations into the deaths were thorough. Unrest, debate and protests over huge piles of dead crustaceans on Teesside’s coastline have rumbled on since problems first started last autumn at Seaton Carew, South Gare, Redcar, Marske and Saltburn.

Read more: Government accused of 'cover up' over mass crab deaths on North East coast

The Northern Echo: Dead crabs and seals have been found on the Teesside coastlineDead crabs and seals have been found on the Teesside coastline

An algal bloom was deemed to be the likely culprit by a Defra-led study. But this was countered by an independent report by Tim Deere-Jones after he was commissioned by those concerned in the fishing industry.

High levels of a chemical pyridine were noted by Mr Deere-Jones’s report. Mr Deere-Jones’ report also said algal blooms did not occur naturally in our coastal waters in October because the temperatures were too low.

However, Defra officials ruled out chemical pollution as a potential cause for the mass deaths in the initial studies – with a review of dredging and water samples finding “no evidence of a link between the disposal of dredged sediment and the deaths”. 

Yet a local campaign calling on the government to appoint an independent regulator to investigate the issue received a significant boost on Friday as the RSPB issued a strong, and urgent message to the government.

Read more: Anger over DEFRA report into North East sea life deaths

The statement read: “RSPB are deeply concerned by the ingoing mass die-offs of crustaceans along the North East coast, centred around the Tees Estuary, and the potential effects on the wider marine ecosystem, including seabirds. We understand that the first event, which occurred in October 2021, was investigated Defra who found the crabs and lobsters contained exceptionally high levels of pyridine, an industrial pollutant, alongside a number of known algal toxins.

“As the source and impact of the pyridine was unclear, the investigation concluded in November that a rare toxic algal bloom was the most likely cause and the investigation was formally closed in March 2022.

“However, this was not a one-time event. While algal bloom toxicity may have been a factor in October, the die-offs have continued throughout the last nine months which clearly indicates an alternative underlying cause, requiring urgent investigation.”

Local fishermen have told of the detrimental impact the deaths is having on their industry, with catches down by 95 per cent in some areas.

The Northern Echo: Fishermen recently held a protest on the River Tees against Defra's investigation. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTTFishermen recently held a protest on the River Tees against Defra's investigation. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT (Image: The Northern Echo)

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Defra’s most recent joint investigation, published in May, repeated dredging had been ruled out as a likely cause of the problems – with the probe stating the disposal of dredged sediment would not be stopped.

“RSPB strongly recommends that Defra reopens their investigation into these die-offs with immediate effect and further, adopts a responsible approach by halting dredging of the Tees until a full scientific analysis can rule it out as a contributory factor,” the RSPB statement added.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen urged any new investigation to be separate from the combined authority given the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) still had an interest in the wider Teesworks project.

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