2021 North-East England shellfish die-off

Last updated

2021 North-East England shellfish die-off
DateOctober 2021–to present
Location
Coordinates 54°38′17″N1°07′59″W / 54.638°N 1.133°W / 54.638; -1.133 Coordinates: 54°38′17″N1°07′59″W / 54.638°N 1.133°W / 54.638; -1.133
TypeMass shellfish death
CauseContested (see text)

The 2021 North-East England shellfish die-off was a series of occasions where a mass of shellfish were found on beaches on the Durham and Yorkshire Coasts in northern England, either dead, or in stages of dying.

Contents

These events first occurred in October 2021, with re-occurrences in February, and September 2022, with concerns being raised at the amount of crabs, lobsters and other marine animals found dead. An initial investigation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated a large algal bloom had killed off the marine life. However, those working in the fishing industry and independent scientists, claimed the deaths was caused by pyridine poisoning, an effect of dredging in the River Tees.

A second government investigation, published in January 2023, stated neither an algal bloom or pyridine poisoning could explain the deaths over such a long period of time, wide area and the unusual twitching in crabs. The scientists concluded that a disease, "novel pathogen" was the "most likely cause of the mortality."

Initial occurrence

In October 2021 thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were washed up on the Tees estuary and beaches along the North-East coast of England. The deaths were first reported in Seaton Carew, Redcar and Seaham. [1] [2] A 95% decline in the lobster and crab catch was noticed by those employed in the local fishing industry. [3] A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said, "Samples of water, sediment, mussel and crab have been collected and are being sent to our labs for analysis to consider whether a pollution incident could have contributed to the deaths of the animals." The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) labs were also testing crustaceans for signs of disease. [4] At the time of the initial waves of deaths, the Environment Agency stated that "there is no evidence of any link to recent strandings of marine mammals and seabirds across the UK and counties along the North Sea coast." [5]

One theory that a new interconnector cable from Northumberland to Norway was responsible was rejected by the National Grid, saying the cables were 'well buried in the seabed, made of steel and unlikely to be broken by wildlife.' [5] The electro-magnetic field given off by underwater power cables has been found to mesmerise brown crabs and cause biological changes, such as changes to the number of blood cells in the crabs’ bodies. [6] However, in November 2021, sewage, seismic activity, and underwater cables were ruled out as a cause of the deaths by the Environment Agency. [7]

Deaths of other marine creatures have been reported; a dead porpoise was photographed washed up on the beach at South Gare, close to the mouth of the Tees. Dead dogfish and sole have also been washed up. The public was advised to avoid areas of beach and coastline and to keep pets away from dead crustaceans. The Environment Agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, the Marine Management Organisation, Hartlepool Borough Council and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, were all involved in the investigation of the cause of the incidents. [8] By late November the crustacean die-off had spread as far south as Robin Hood's Bay and was affecting catches in Whitby. [9] [10] Some of the crabs and lobsters which had washed up on the beaches were in various states of dying, with "twitching and lethargic" behaviour reported. [11]

By January 2022 over 150 dogs had suffered vomiting and diarrhoea after they visited beaches in North Yorkshire. Dogs walked on beaches at Bridlington, Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay, South Gare near Redcar, and Scarborough had been affected. [12] The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) put forward the theory that the dogs might have contracted the Canine Enteric Coronavirus. A cluster of cases have been found inland at Leeds and Kirklees. Alan Radford, a Professor of Veterinary Health Informatics at the University of Liverpool, said, "Analysis of real-time data collected by SAVSNET from veterinary practices suggests that in Yorkshire, levels of disease have been statistically higher than we would expect for three weeks – we can therefore call this an outbreak in Yorkshire." [13] The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said, "We are not aware of any link with the issue of crustaceans washed ashore in the area late last year [and domestic pets]." [14]

Investigations

The Environment Agency has ruled out chemical pollution as the cause of the mass shellfish deaths. Dredging was also rejected as the cause of the environmental disaster. Environment Agency operations manager Sarah Jennings said, "We've used both traditional and innovative screening methods to analyse samples of water, sediment and crab looking for traces of contamination. We’ve screened for over 1,000 potential chemical contaminants but found no anomalies that could lead to an event of this scale." [15] The South Tees Development Corporation, who are responsible for the dredging of the Tees, stated that "we continue to follow all legal standards and requirements as is required, including the issued licence and guidance from DEFRA and MMO, who continue to rule out dredging as a likely cause." [16]

Whilst official direction was that dredging was not the cause of the die-off, many fishermen state that they believe this to be the root cause. Defra, which started an investigation in December 2021, stated the die-off was the result of an algal bloom, however, some academics have raised the dredging issue as the shellfish had high levels of pyridine. [17] The North East Fishing Collective (NEFIC) crowdfunded a £30,000 study conducted by researchers at Newcastle, Durham, Hull and York universities, who concluded that the levels of pyridine resulted in the mass deaths. "Although it is yet to be peer reviewed, the study's early report said tests found pyridine, which is used as an anti-corrosion treatment in marine infrastructure, was "highly toxic" to crabs "even at low levels" and caused twitching and paralysis before death similar to witness reports made at the time of the mass wash-ups." [18] Defra rejected the claim about pyridine poisoning, stating that pyridine was present in healthy crabs studied during the same period off the coast of Cornwall. They also stated that there was no link between the die-off and any dead seals on the North-East coast. [19] [20]

In early February 2022 it was reported that, "Defra and partner agencies have completed a thorough investigation of the cause of dead crabs and lobsters which were found washed up on the North East coast between October and December 2021. Following significant testing and modelling to rule out possible causes, Defra and partner agencies consider that the deaths of the crabs and lobsters potentially resulted from a naturally occurring harmful algal bloom." [21] [22] In June 2022 George Monbiot wrote in The Guardian , "Astonishingly, although there is no evidence that it conducted such sampling, the government concluded not only that a bloom had occurred, but that it was caused by a particular, toxic species: Karenia mikimotoi . This is the stuff of science fiction. Karenia thrives in temperatures between 20 and 24 °C [68 and 75 °F]. The average water temperature on this coast in October is 13 °C [55 °F]. There is no plausible mechanism by which a Karenia bloom could cause the mass death of lobsters and crabs without also killing large numbers of fish, sea urchins and many other species." Monbiot reported that when he asked the UK government to publish its evidence the government refused. [23]

Tim Deere-Jones, a pollution researcher and consultant for over 30 years, was asked to investigate the incidents by Whitby Fishermen's Association. A Freedom of Information request to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs revealed some crab samples were found to have concentrations of the chemical pyridine 70 times over the expected level. Deere-Jones said, "The Environment Agency must have analysed for several hundred different chemicals, most of which were there in .0-something quantities, some of which were in quantities up to the tens, but what really stood out was pyridine, which was present up to 450-plus. Apart from being astonished that nobody picked up that this one chemical was there in such quantities, I was astonished that nobody suggested that there be further work." [24] Marine infrastructure which sits in the water is treated with pyridine to reduce corrosion, and the chemical is also released as an industrial waste product. One crab sample from Saltburn was found to contain 439mg per kg of pyridine, and 203mg per kg was found in a sample tested from Seaton. A control sample from Cornwall showed levels of 5.9mg per kg. Deere-Jones challenged the Defra conclusion, saying, "There was marine algae out there but it wasn't really what you'd call a bloom, and nobody took any samples to prove it was a lethal algal bloom." [25]

December 2022 investigation

Another government investigation was instigated in November 2022, and was supposed to deliver its findings a month later, but it was not released to the public until January 2023. [26] [27] The terms of reference for the investigation, and the names of the scientists involved was deliberately kept secret to avoid pressure being put on the scientists and to enable them to complete the review free from "lobbying...in what has become an increasingly bitter debate." [28] The report was released on 20 January 2023, and came to no definitive conclusion. The report stated that neither an algal bloom or pyridine poisoning could "..explain the deaths over such a long period of time and wide area of coastline, the unusual twitching observed by crabs or why only crustaceans and not a greater number of species had suffered the effects." The scientists raised the possibility of a new parasite or disease as the likely source of the deaths, but there were no signs of this, labelling a "novel pathogen" as the "most likely cause of the mortality." [26]

Further occurrences

More crabs were washed up on beaches in the North-East of England during February 2022. [17]

Concerns were raised again in September 2022, after local people at Markse and Saltburn identified another swathe of shellfish being washed up on the beach. However, the Environment Agency countered that it was "a regular occurrence at this time of year." [29]

Aftermath

The mass die-off had a detrimental effect on the shellfish ports of Yorkshire (Bridlington, Scarborough and Whitby), and so the Whitby Lobster Hatchery had forwarded a plan to put thousands of juvenile lobsters into the North Sea. Even so, one of the marine biologists at the hatchery warned that it would "take years" for the stocks to recover. [30]

In early October 2022, Hundreds of protestors linked arms across Saltburn beach. The protestors were part of the campaign group Reclaim the Seas, who wanted the dredging of the Tees Estuary to stop. [31] As a result of the NEFIC report, which blamed the mass die-off on pyridine poisoning, a Parliamentary committee meeting was announced for 25 October 2022, to investigate the claims. [32] The committee heard that those who work in the fishing industry around the Tees and the County Durham and North Yorkshire coasts, were "terrified [of the] dredging going ahead", with one stating that they were experiencing an "extinction episode". [16] The committee heard from the secretary of Whitby Commercial Fishing Association, who stated that the lobster catch was down 50%, undersized and pregnant lobsters were down 75%, and brown crabs were down 100%. [16]

In November 2022, the Scarborough MP, Robert Goodwill, recommended setting up a fund to provide financial support to communities affected by the shellfish die-off. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algal bloom</span> Rapid increase or accumulation in the population of planktonic algae

An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term algae encompasses many types of aquatic photosynthetic organisms, both macroscopic multicellular organisms like seaweed and microscopic unicellular organisms like cyanobacteria. Algal bloom commonly refers to the rapid growth of microscopic unicellular algae, not macroscopic algae. An example of a macroscopic algal bloom is a kelp forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domoic acid</span> Chemical compound

Domoic acid (DA) is a kainic acid-type neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). It is produced by algae and accumulates in shellfish, sardines, and anchovies. When sea lions, otters, cetaceans, humans, and other predators eat contaminated animals, poisoning may result. Exposure to this compound affects the brain, causing seizures, and possibly death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shellfish</span> Culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates

Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some are found in freshwater. In addition, a few species of land crabs are eaten, for example Cardisoma guanhumi in the Caribbean. Shellfish are among the most common food allergens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Tees</span> East coast river of Northern England

The River Tees, in Northern England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for 85 miles (137 km) to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar near Middlesbrough. The modern day history of the river has been tied with the industries on Teesside in its lower reaches, where it has provided the means of import and export of goods to and from the North East England. The need for water further downstream also meant that reservoirs were built in the extreme upper reaches, such as Cow Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Island Sound</span> Tidal estuary on the U.S. East Coast

Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches 110 mi (180 km) from the East River in New York City, along the North Shore of Long Island, to Block Island Sound. A mix of freshwater from tributaries and saltwater from the ocean, Long Island Sound is 21 mi (34 km) at its widest point and varies in depth from 65 to 230 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raritan Bay</span> The southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey

Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on the south by the Raritan Bayshore communities in the New Jersey counties of Middlesex and Monmouth, and on the east by Sandy Hook Bay. The bay is named after the Raritans, a branch of the Lenape tribe who lived in the vicinity of the bay and its river for thousands of years, prior to the arrival of Dutch and English colonists in the 17th century.

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Cayton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England, 4 miles (6 km) south of Scarborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish kill</span> Localized die-off of fish populations

The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off, refers to a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalized mortality of aquatic life. The most common cause is reduced oxygen in the water, which in turn may be due to factors such as drought, algae bloom, overpopulation, or a sustained increase in water temperature. Infectious diseases and parasites can also lead to fish kill. Toxicity is a real but far less common cause of fish kill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmful algal bloom</span> Population explosion of organisms that can kill marine life

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms by production of natural algae-produced toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means. HABs are sometimes defined as only those algal blooms that produce toxins, and sometimes as any algal bloom that can result in severely lower oxygen levels in natural waters, killing organisms in marine or fresh waters. Blooms can last from a few days to many months. After the bloom dies, the microbes that decompose the dead algae use up more of the oxygen, generating a "dead zone" which can cause fish die-offs. When these zones cover a large area for an extended period of time, neither fish nor plants are able to survive. Harmful algal blooms in marine environments are often called "red tides".

This page is a list of fishing topics.

The Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) is a historic association that was founded as the Oyster Merchants' and Planters' Association in 1903, it was renamed the SAGB in 1969. They cover a wide range of topics within the shellfish industry, from trading to advice on nutritional standards and also the sustainability of the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea foam</span> Foam created by the agitation of seawater

Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms. These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents. As the seawater is churned by breaking waves in the surf zone adjacent to the shore, the surfactants under these turbulent conditions trap air, forming persistent bubbles that stick to each other through surface tension.

Karenia mikimotoi is a dinoflagellate species from the genus Karenia. Its first appearance was in Japan in 1935 and since then, it has appeared in other parts of the world such as the east coast of the United States, Norway, and the English Channel.

Alexandrium catenella is a species of dinoflagellates. It is among the group of Alexandrium species that produce toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, and is a cause of red tide. ‘’Alexandrium catenella’’ is observed in cold, coastal waters, generally at temperate latitudes. These organisms have been found in the west coast of North America, Japan, Australia, and parts of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire Coast</span> Coastline of Yorkshire, England

The Yorkshire Coast runs from the Tees estuary to the Humber estuary, on the east coast of England. The cliffs at Boulby are the highest on the east coast of England, rising to 660 feet (200 m) above the sea level.

RV <i>Tellina</i> British fisheries research vessel

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Pseudo-nitzschia australis is a pennate diatom found in temperate and sub-tropic marine waters, such as off the coast of California and Argentina. This diatom is a Harmful Micro Algae that produces toxic effects on a variety of organisms through its production of domoic acid, a neurotoxin. Toxic effects have been observed in a variety of predatory organisms such as pelicans, sea lions, and humans. If exposed to a high enough dose, these predators will die as a result, and there is no known antidote. The potential indirect mortality associated with P. australis is of great concern to humans as toxic algae blooms, including blooms of P. australis, continue to increase in frequency and severity over recent years. Blooms of P. australis are believed to result from high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates in stream and river runoff, as well as coastal upwelling, which are also sources of other harmful algae blooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire coast fishery</span> History of sea fishing in Yorkshire, England

The Yorkshire coast fishery has long been part of the Yorkshire economy for centuries. The 114-mile (183 km) Yorkshire Coast, from the River Tees to the River Humber, has many ports both small and large where the fishing trade thrives. The historic ports at Hull and Whitby are important locations for the landing and processing of fish and shellfish. Scarborough and Bridlington are also sites of commercial fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine conservation zones in Yorkshire</span> List of Marine Conservation Zones in Yorkshire

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