Dispute over mass crustacean deaths at Teesside as pyridine and pathogen both blamed
Defra claims the culprit was an unknown disease, but the finger is also being pointed at pollutants released by dredging
In late 2021 and early 2022 large numbers of crab and lobster were washed up along the north-east coast of England. A government panel convened to investigate has just reported back that it couldn’t identify a convincing cause for the crustacean deaths. Although it admits there is no direct evidence, the panel concluded a novel pathogen is most likely to blame. However, some researchers believe the mass die-offs were a result of a legacy of chemical pollution released by intensive dredging of the river Tees.
Last year, researchers from Newcastle, Durham and York universities were brought in by local fishing communities after the Environment Agency found pyridine in the dead crustaceans. Gary Caldwell, a marine biologist at Newcastle University, led research that confirmed that pyridine is toxic to crabs, even at levels below those recorded in the die-offs. Other studies showed how pyridine could be transported from industrial areas around the Tees along the coastline. Their work triggered the government to convene an independent expert panel.