Calls to look into crab deaths again
CHARITY DISPUTES STATED CAUSE FOR MASS DIE-OFFS
THE UK’s largest nature conservation charity is calling on the government to reopen its investigation into the mass crustacean die off along the Teesside coast.
The RSPB says it is ‘deeply concerned’ about the strange occurrence which was first noted last October.
Thousands of dead and dying crabs and lobsters littered the shoreline in an area stretching from Seaton Carew in the north down to Redcar, Marske and Saltburn beaches before washing further down the coast into North Yorkshire. Local people said the piles were waist deep in some places.
Government department Defra launched a probe which said the most likely cause was an algal bloom - but the findings continue to be heavily disputed by fishermen, conservation campaigners along the Teesside coast and an independent marine expert who maintain high levels of a chemical called pyridine, used in industry, are behind the deaths. They believe dredging at the mouth of the River Tees has unearthed historical toxins leading to the crab deaths. Defra has previously ruled dredging out as a cause for the crustacean mortalities.
Now, bird and wildlife conservation charity the RSPB has added its voice to calls for the government department to reopen the investigation. The charity says the fact that crustacean deaths are continuing to be noticed requires ‘urgent investigation.’
Blanaid Denman, senior conservation officer for RSPB, said: “RSPB are deeply concerned by the ongoing mass die-offs of crustaceans along the north east coast, centred around the Tees Estuary. And the potential effects on the wider marine ecosystem.
“We understand that the first event, which occurred in October 2021, was investigated by 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.
“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. RSPB strongly recommends that Defra reopens their investigation into these dieoffs 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.”
Last May, fishermen and conservationists held a protest at South Gare near Redcar to highlight the issue and their loss of livelihood as a result. A small flotilla of craft sailed to the mouth of the Tees accompanied by campaigners on the shoreline waving banners in protest.
Teesside councillors have also been debating the issue. Last month, July, a full Middlesbrough Council meeting included a Labourled motion calling on the Tees Valley Combined Authority to launch its own independent investigation after councillor David Branson told the meeting fishing catches had been down by almost 95%.
A Defra spokesperson told the Gazette in July: “Defra and partner agencies completed a thorough investigation into the cause of dead crabs and lobsters found washed up on the north east coast between October and December 2021 and concluded that a naturally occurring harmful algal bloom was the most likely cause of the incident. We ruled out a number of potential causes including chemical pollution, sewage, animal disease, and dredging.”
Defra officials added there was no evidence to suggest the disposal of dredged sediment was the reason and would continue to work with partners to monitor “recent smallscale wash-ups”.
Speaking in July, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen urged an investigation separate from the combined authority given the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) still had an interest in the wider Teesworks project. He added: “Defra has published a report into the dead crustacean problem, but people rightly still feel passionate about the issue and I’d welcome any new report that tries to get to the bottom of this worrying issue once and for all - though my fear is it’s not that simple.
“If Middlesbrough Council is calling for an independent report, then that can’t be something my team at the combined authority lead given our group interest in Teesworks and we would want such a report to be rigorous, independent and something that the community can have confidence in.”