The weight of shellfish caught and landed in the UK has dropped by 44% in the last year, a new analysis by Labour has found.

Vessels 10 metres and under, which tend to fish closer to the shore, brought in 1,813 tonnes in January 2022, but a year later this dropped to 1,012, the opposition party said.

The Government’s own figures, compiled by the Marine Management Organisation, showed a drop of 41%.

Labour said the reduction in shellfish catches is having a significant impact on jobs and livelihoods in fishing and coastal communities.

If you want to read more stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here

Shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon is to visit fishermen in Hartlepool on Thursday where the local fishing industry has reported a 95% drop in their catches of shellfish such as lobsters and crabs.

A Government report published in January said “it is about as likely as not” that a novel pathogen had caused the deaths, though none was identified.

The scientists also said it was unlikely that a chemical pyridine had killed the crabs because they found it to be in too small a quantity in the sediment, and they also all but ruled out dredging on the River Tees as another possible cause.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has rejected calls for any further analysis.

In a letter to Sir Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, she said: “Given the extent of the analytical work already undertaken, and further advice, I have decided that it is highly unlikely that we will find the cause and so no further analysis will be undertaken by the Government.”

READ NEXT:

In response, Mr McMahon criticised the Government for following a “discredited theory” in testing whether an algal bloom had caused the deaths, which was disproved in the January report.

He said it is “vital” that further investigations take place and that dead crustaceans are preserved for testing.

Mr McMahon said: “Sixteen months in and fishers are still waiting for Tory politicians to get their act together and stand up for fishing jobs that have run through local families for generations.

“It is vital that further investigation takes place and that existing crustacean samples are preserved and made available for further testing.

“The next Labour Government will work alongside our fishing and coastal industries so that they can rebuild after months of Tory dither and delay.”

The Government has been contacted for comment.