British scientists said on Friday they do not believe the contamination killed thousands of crabs that washed up on beaches in north-east England, although they are not sure what caused the unusual death.
The crustaceans were found dead or dying along more than 44 miles of coastline in late 2021, with some showing unusual “twitching” as they lay dying.
Environmentalists suspected that toxins released by dredging to expand a port in Teesside, a heavily industrial area, might have been responsible. Research last year by academics, backed by the fishing industry, suggested that the industrial pollutant pyridine, possibly from dredging at the mouth of the River Tees, is a potential cause.
But a panel of scientists and industry experts set up by the British government said it found no evidence that pollutants were to blame.
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Fishermen protesting North Sea pollution on May 19, 2022 at South Gare, near Redcar, UK.
(Photo by Tessa Bunney/In Pictures via Getty Images)
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The group, chaired by Gideon Henderson, chief scientific adviser to the government’s environment department, said it was “very unlikely” that pyridine or another toxic contaminant caused the deaths.
“We just couldn’t find evidence of high levels of pyridine in coastal seawater,” said Lancaster University environmental chemist Crispin Halsall, who worked on the report.
The group concluded that it was “almost likely” that a new pathogen in UK waters, a potential disease or parasite, would cause the crabs to die. The scientists said they were unable to identify which pathogen, if any, was responsible.
“We’ve probably had more questions than answers,” said Tammy Horton, a researcher at Britain’s National Oceanography Center who worked on the study.
She said it was “highly unlikely” that there would be human health implications of a crab pathogen and that “the shellfish would be safe to eat.”
