North East councils refuse to probe mass shellfish deaths

Following a motion passed in July, Redcar and Cleveland Council reached out to other Tees Valley councils requesting they jointly commission a new independent report into the deaths and set up a joint scrutiny process.

But the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands its invite has largely fallen on deaf ears.

Saltburn councillor Philip Thomson, who seconded the motion, said: “No other local authority – and they have all been approached – has responded positively to the request to work together on this particular subject.

“I did ask that we put a deadline on replies so we were not unduly delaying setting out a programme of work following on from the motion.

“That was last weekend and at the moment there are no other local authorities that we are aware of that are going to positively come and work with Redcar and Cleveland.

“I could not say definitively for every [Tees Valley] authority that we have a response in writing, but that is my knowledge and there is no arrangement in place for working together at the moment.”

Read more: Pyridine could have caused mass North East sea life deaths

Earlier this week it was revealed Hartlepool Council had turned down Redcar and Cleveland’s offer to work together.

Chief solicitor Hayley Martin confirmed that the council’s request was discussed with the council’s leader, managing director, statutory scrutiny manager and chair of audit and governance.

She went on: “It was agreed that because of our scrutiny arrangements and the fact that we already had our own motion that focused on the economic issues that we shouldn’t join the joint scrutiny committee across the Tees Valley.”

In response, Labour’s deputy group leader on the authority, Councillor Jonathan Brash said: “I’m really dismayed that we have chosen to reject an offer from a fellow authority to work on an issue that some people really, really care about. 

“That seems utterly bizarre to me and I would suggest in future if suggestions come forward like this a wider consultation of elected members would be beneficial.”
Stockton Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that an invitation was still being considered

A spokesman said: “Members of our executive scrutiny committee are considering the invitation from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and have requested some further information before they can make a final decision.”

Read more: Fury as Hartlepool council refuse to take part in dead sea life​ investigation

The LDRS approached Darlington Council to establish its position and was eventually told by a spokeswoman it hadn’t really been involved in this matter and was not in a position to comment.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough Council also did not explain its position, having been similarly approached for a comment which was not forthcoming.

Cllr Thomson said: “I have asked Redcar and Cleveland Council to press on with formulating a process that will take into account the aspirations of the motion and they will be tasked with delivering against it.

“I have spoken with officers and discussed setting up a relevant protocol.

“It is of vital importance that we continue to seek to have an open and public debate about the information available, much of which may not have been disclosed so far.”

He added: “It would be helpful in all matters of Government that all those with a relevant interest could work together for a common aim and outcome.

“But I am conscious of the realism of life and different local authorities have their own agendas, and there may very well be pressures which I am not conscious of that may determine their approach to this problem.

“Sometimes it is helpful to share knowledge in order to obtain results more readily.

“There is no requirement for local authorities to work together, but the evidence is that when they do there is a much more productive outcome.

“Because of the implications on local employment, tourism and the image of the borough it is important that Redcar and Cleveland Council is seen to be standing tall and engaging with all authorities to determine where we are and what actions we need to be considering.”

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

‘Very serious problem’

Redcar councillor Carl Quartermain, who successfully proposed the council motion, said: “We are wanting to create a joint scrutiny committee across all five unitary boroughs to be solely focused on getting to the bottom of the crustacean die offs, to give it the attention it needs. 

“This is a very serious problem and by working together in partnership, our local authorities will be best placed to investigate, report and create the actions needed.

“Our coastline serves the whole of the Tees Valley and the River Tees cuts through our borough and therefore it is our responsibility to ask the questions and to find the answers, and by doing so we hope to ultimately protect our seas and bathing waters on behalf of our environment and everyone who lives and who visits our region.”

Cllr Quartermain said he had been advised that scientists from Newcastle, York and Hull universities had been invited to appear at a Parliamentary environmental select committee to speak about their recent findings which appeared to contradict those in an official Defra-led investigation which reported earlier this year.

Defra ruled out dredging as a cause of the sea creature deaths and suggested that a “naturally occurring algal bloom” could be a causal factor.

But fresh research has suggested that the mass crab deaths seen on Teesside shores are “more consistent with poisoning by industrial toxins”.

Commissioned by the North East Fishing Collective, the investigation saw academics come together to determine whether the chemical pyridine is toxic to edible crabs.

Campaigners have claimed dredging on the River Tees has unearthed historical toxins, linking the deaths to pyridine.

The new study, which involved collecting edible crabs from waters in Northumberland and exposing them to a range of pyridine concentrations, noted “unusual twitching behaviour” found by dead crabs on Teesside and the similarity with those impacted by pyridine.

Read more: Fishermen launch legal action over North East fishing deaths

Durham University, another of the academic institutions taking part in the study, found that satellite imagery “does show a marine algal bloom off Teesside at around the time of the Oct 2021 mass mortality event”.

However, it said that not all blooms are harmful and that this one was “not unusually large,” with several larger blooms in 2021 and 2022 occurring without causing the mass die-offs.

The report’s conclusions outlined that “pyridine in seawater is highly toxic to crabs even at low levels, showing indications of attacking the nervous system as evidenced by the twitching and convulsing behaviours”.

It described the death as “rapid” at the upper tested concentration, with lower concentrations causing “partial paralysis.”

Other findings noted that pyridine was found “in both near-shore and offshore sediments” and that Teesside industrial plant Vertellus is known to have handled large amounts of the chemical before 2019. 

Computer simulations also predicted elevated quantities of pyridine could be transported to as far as Whitby, using current and tide data.

The Redcar and Cleveland Council motion stated the ending of Defra’s investigation had been premature and called on the Government to reopen it as a matter of urgency.

Last month council leader Mary Lanigan wrote to the new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena to express the local authority’s “deep dissatisfaction” at an investigation into mass crustacean deaths.

They began in October last year and saw wash-ups of sea creatures on beaches in Seaton Carew, South Gare, Redcar, Marske and Saltburn.

Further occasional wash-ups have been highlighted by residents, most recently on the stretch of sands between Marske and Saltburn, where masses of dead starfish, crabs, fish and razor clam shells have been found.

The Environment Agency, which provides an operational response to such incidents, said these were a regular occurrence at this time of year and followed stormy conditions over the weekend which can often have a significant impact on the marine environment.

Defra officials, meanwhile, have already turned down an invite to appear at an existing Redcar and Cleveland Council scrutiny committee meeting.

Last week it said in a statement that: “A comprehensive investigation last year included extensive testing for chemicals and other pollutants such as pyridine. 

“It concluded a naturally occurring algal bloom was the most likely cause. 

“We recognise the concerns in regards to dredging, but we found no evidence to suggest this was a likely cause. 

“There have been no materials licensed for disposal at sea in the area which would fail to meet international standards.

“This is a complex scientific issue, which is why we took a thorough, evidence based approach. 

“We welcome research carried out by universities and will continue to work with them, including studying this report carefully. 

“We are aware there have been some localised reductions in catch rates and we are continuing to monitor shellfish populations in the area.”

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