Agenda item

Crustacean Deaths

Preamble

First dead crustaceans were washed up on our region’s beaches, followed by dead seabirds and emaciated seal pups.  More recently, vast amounts of seaweed, dead razor clams, and fish washed up.  It is an environmental and economic disaster in the short term.

The report of the Government joint agency investigation into the crab and lobster deaths was published – inconclusively -in May 2022, but as healthy animals were being found, the investigation was closed.  It is considered that the decision to close the investigation was premature.

A number of universities have undertaken research on the loss of marine life.  Newcastle University research identified high levels of pyride – a chemical with a long history of release into the river Tees, a by product of the coking process in steel production, and petro-chemicals – in tissues of the dead crabs on the North East and North Yorkshire coasts, and in Tees surface sediments.

More must be done to investigate the cause of the mass deaths of sea creatures on the Teesside coast from October 2021 to the present day.

Council Resolves :-

1.      That it writes to the Government and demands that it re-opens its Joint agency investigation into the crab and lobster deaths swiftly to consider the reasons for the initial and on-going deaths of marine life around the Tees mouth in light of further independent analysis.

2.      That it joins the special joint working group which is being set up by each Tees Valley Council to monitor the on-gong situation.

3.      That it works with the Tees Valley local authorities to commission a new independent report, to further examine the issues in the light of the inconclusive official report and new evidence of the presence and acute toxity of pyridine to crustaceans for presentation to Government.

4.      That it writes to the Tees Valley Combined Authority and other organisations involved with high risk disturbance activities in the Tees estuary such as piling and demolitions at Teeswork and non-maintenance dredging in highly contaminated parts of the Tees and asks for all works to be paused until the cause of the marine die offs is determined and a risk assessment and plan for how to safely proceed with these developments is created, if needed.

5.      That it writes to the appropriate bodies (which should include EA, Cefas, NEIFCA, MMO, FSA and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Teesworks and the TVCA) to :-

(i)                  detail what action or recommendations can, or have been taken to support the future of our region;

(ii)                explain how they will improve monitoring and regulation to prevent contamination events from occurring in the UK – particularly whether the suite of chemicals tested for is adequate given the Tees’ industrial heritage

The following Motion was moved by Councillor Holroyd, and seconded by Councillor Layton:

Crustacean Deaths

First dead crustaceans were washed up on our region’s beaches, followed by dead

seabirds and emaciated seal pups. More recently, vast amounts of seaweed, dead

razor clams, and fish washed up. It is an environmental and economic disaster in the

short term.

The report of the Government Joint agency investigation into the crab and lobster

deaths was published - inconclusively - in May 2022, but as healthy animals were

being found, the investigation was closed. It is considered that the decision to close

the investigation was premature.

A number of universities have undertaken research on the loss of marine life.

Newcastle University research identified high levels of pyridine - a chemical with a

long history of release into the river Tees, a by-product of the coking process in steel

production, and petrochemicals – in tissues of the dead crabs on the North East and

North Yorkshire coasts, and in Tees surface sediments.

More must be done to investigate the cause of the mass death of sea creatures on the Teesside coast from October 2021 to the present day.

Council Resolves :-

1. That it writes to the Government and demands that it re-opens its Joint agency

investigation into the crab and lobster deaths swiftly to consider the reasons

for the initial and ongoing deaths of marine life around the Tees’ mouth in light

of further independent analysis.

2. That it joins the special joint working group which is being set up by each Tees

Valley Council to monitor the on-going situation.

3. That it works with the Tees Valley local authorities to commission a new

independent report, to further examine the issues in the light of the

inconclusive official report and new evidence of the presence and acute

toxicity of pyridine to crustaceans for presentation to Government.

4. That it writes to the Tees Valley Combined Authority and other organisations

involved with high risk disturbance activities in the Tees estuary such as piling

and demolitions at Teeswork and non-maintenance dredging in highly[1]contaminated parts of the Tees and asks for all works to be paused until the

cause of the marine die-offs is determined and a risk assessment and plan for

how to safely proceed with these developments is created, if needed.

5. That it writes to the appropriate bodies (which should include EA, Cefas,

NEIFCA, MMO, FSA and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Teesworks

and the TVCA) to:

(i) detail what action or recommendations can, or have been taken to

support the future of our region;

(ii) explain how they will improve monitoring and regulation to prevent

contamination events from occurring in the UK - particularly whether the suite of chemicals tested for is adequate, given the Tees’ industrial heritage.

The Motion was Lost.