‘Beacon of hope’ for lobsters after mass die off
Almost 1,000 young lobsters have been released into the North Sea this week, as part of a project which aims to restore the population after thousands of crustaceans died in mysterious circumstances.
Whitby[1] Lobster Hatchery said the juvenile lobsters are “a beacon of hope for the future of this vital crustacean species” which is being threatened by pollution and fishing operations.
The team at the hatchery released 822 lobsters onto the seabed in Redcar this week and they have introduced more than 8,000 around Whitby harbour so far this year.
Manager Joe Redfern said: “It is a testament to our commitment to the preservation of these iconic creatures and the restoration of their populations in the North Sea[2]. Moving forwards we will release juvenile lobster along our coastline.”
The team at the hatchery released 822 lobsters onto the seabed in Redcar this week
It comes after thousands of dead crabs and lobsters died in the North Sea and began washing ashore, between Hartlepool[3] and Whitby, in October 2021.
Fishermen and scientists from several universities are convinced the crustacean deaths were linked to an industrial chemical called pyridine, that was released by dredging done as part of the Government-backed Teesside Freeport project in Redcar.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) initial investigation into the crustacean deaths concluded that a naturally-occuring algal bloom had killed the crustaceans.
When a panel of government-appointed experts conducted a review of the evidence, they rubbished the algal bloom theory and found the “most likely” explanation is an unknown disease or parasite killed the crustaceans.
It also stated “no significant pathogens were identified” because full molecular screening had not been conducted by Defra during the initial investigation.
According to the panel, there are three factors which suggest a disease is the cause: only crustaceans died, they were found across a large area – around 70km of coastline – and some were twitching when they were discovered.
The panel also stated it is “very unlikely” – less than 10 per cent probability – that dredging and toxic chemicals are to blame, claiming that no pyridine was detected in the water and the amount of pyridine found in dredged material was not high enough to kill crabs.
It said a range of toxic chemicals, including pyridine, are found in the sediment of the Tees, due to the “long-term industrial activity in the region”, but it is routinely monitored during dredging operations.
According to Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA), there were “clear reductions” in the numbers of crabs caught by fisherman who travel up to 10 miles offshore between Hartlepool and Bridlington last year. In Redcar, catches were down 96 per cent.
It also stated the number of lobsters caught by crews from Staithes, Redcar and Hartlepool were “considerably reduced compared to previous years”.
In March, government scientists took samples from Dublin Bay prawns off the coast of Hartlepool to test for diseases after fishermen reported a sudden drop in catches, but concluded there were “no unusual findings”.