A new independent crowdfunded investigation to determine the cause of crustacean death along the North East coast has been launched.
A team of scientists from Newcastle, Durham, and York universities believe there is a “strong chance” pollutants released by dredging could be the cause behind crustacean deaths which hit Teesside and North Yorkshire’s fishing communities.
This comes after an independent panel of experts brought together by the Government said the likely cause was a “novel pathogen.”
Professor David Roberts, from Durham University, said the team were looking to test whether the contents of the sediments could have driven “natural die-offs of different marine species.”
Adding to this, two days of collecting samples from the bed of the Tees estuary will be undertaken, followed by laboratory analysis.
Stan Rennie, a fisherman from Hartlepool, said stocks are still well down since the original die-off in October 2021.
He said: “It’s not only the potting grounds now, the prawn grounds have died off, from Hartlepool up towards Seaham.
“So, the guys have got to get up towards the Wear and the Tyne to see any sign of life.”
The crowdfunded project which has seen scientists examine the Tees estuary was funded by thousands of pounds of public donations, as well as support from the fishing industry.
Joe Redfern, who represents the North East Fishing Collective, said: “We’re going to be testing for different things which aren’t usually tested for in the routine monitoring, such as pyridine.
“And going deeper than the routine testing as well, and the testing that we’ve done previously.”
When quizzed on the government’s findings through their expert panel and tests, he said they had not provided “any answers.”
In January, a panel assembled by Defra published a report which said the likelihood of pyridine as the cause of the deaths was unlikely.
It also ruled out the algal bloom theory that the government put forward in the immediate wake of the discovery of crabs and lobsters washing up on Yorkshire coast beaches, and dredging in the River Tees.
Speaking on why tests were being carried out, Professor David Roberts said: “We’re looking to test a series of hypotheses to see whether or not some of the contents in those sediments could have driven natural die-offs of different marine species.
Source: Yahoo News
