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
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.
To get more stories from the North East direct to your email basket go here
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.
Read next:
- No plans for new investigation into North East sea life deaths
- Mysterious killer continues to wipe out North East sea life
- Concern over 'devastating' death of crustaceans in North East
If you want to read more stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
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