Pyridine could have caused mass North East sea life deaths

Scientists have concluded that crab deaths are more consistent with poisoning by “industrial toxins” than by natural algal, which the Government has claimed was the most likely cause behind the mass deaths.  

They say that pyridine, which could have been released by dredging, is the most likely killer of the crustaceans.

The new study, commissioned by the North East Fishing Collective and conducted by Newcastle, Durham, York and Hull universities, is yet another which contradicts the claims of investigations by DEFRA.

A range of potential causes including licensed dredging activity, chemical contamination, presence of algal blooms and aquatic animal disease were investigated by DEFRA – but no single, consistent causative factor was identified.

However, a harmful algal bloom present in the area was identified as of significance and the most likely cause.

Read more: Shocking pictures show dead marine life on Teesside beach

Yet activists and local fishermen continue to dispute the official explanation behind the mortality. Twelve months on from the first issues being reported, fishermen are still reporting catch levels significantly below the levels they were seeing last summer.

The new report still needs to be peer reviewed but scientists say pyridine, which can be released into the environment as a waste product from industrial processes, was “highly toxic” to crabs and causes sea life to twitch before dying.  

The report added that such a pyridine release would kill approximately 10 percent of the crab population at Peterlee and Whitby, 30 percent of the crab population at Runswick Bay and over 50 percent of the crab population at Redcar.

Although no pyridine was found in water samples from the Tees Estuary in May 2020 it was discovered in sediment samples at eight out of 12 nearby sites and offshore. There is no evidence of a local source of the chemical, but the study said it is a "common industrial chemical and at least one Teesside industrial plant is known to have handled large amounts of it before 2019".

The scientists also looked at algal blooms as a cause of death but noted that not all are damaging, which is in contrast to the devastation seen along the North East coast. “Harmful algal blooms usually kill a broad range of organisms but the Teesside events disproportionately affected crabs and lobsters,” the report added.

It comes as Liz Truss faced criticism after failing provide a substantial answer on the North East marine life crisis.

The Prime Minister admitted she “would need to look into the issue” of sea life deaths off the North East coast during an interview on BBC Radio Tees on Thursday morning – but locals say it’s not good enough.

In the exchange the new PM added: “I know the environment agency are looking at the issues but I will certainly be raising that with the environment secretary.”

However her response has enraged local politicians and activists campaigning for greater support on the mass deaths.

Read more: Fisherman forced to take up new jobs as dead crabs and lobsters keep washing up

Piles of dead crabs washed up on the beach last autumn (Image: The Northern Echo)

Stockton North labour MP Alex Cunningham said Truss and her Government need to act immediately to avert further crisis.

He said: “I'd have expected the PM to be better briefed on local issues for her ‘local radio rounds’. A poor response - the local fishing industry and our communities deserve real answers to the unfolding ecological disaster. Her government needs to decisively act to save our seas.”

And Middlesbrough’s MP Andy McDonald also didn’t hold back in his assessment of her radio performance. “Truss was completely unaware of the horrendous marine fatalities along our coast,” he said.

“To me, this speaks volumes about the lack of concern about this issue from our local Tory MPs and Mayor that they have not felt it important enough to raise with their Prime Minister and inform her of what is happening here in Tees Valley.”  

A Government spokeswoman added: “Defra led a comprehensive investigation into the cause of dead crabs and lobsters that washed up on the North East coast between October and December last year.

“Government scientists carried out extensive testing for chemicals and other pollutants including pyridine but concluded a naturally occurring algal bloom was the most likely cause.

"The amount of any chemical needed to cause a mortality event of this scale would have had to be huge and could not have escaped detection in the extensive sampling carried out at the time. Chemical pollution was therefore ruled out as a likely cause for the incident.”

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