Lib Dems call for Sewage Tax to prevent water firms polluting shellfish habitats.

Lobsters, crabs, clams and oysters are the “forgotten victims” of sewage being dumped into the sea and rivers around the UK, new analysis has shown. (Photo credit: Cocklers at work in Morecombe Bay. PA / PA Archive)

The London Evening Standard, amongst others, reported that waters containing shellfish were dumped in nearly 29,000 times last year, with the longest event lasting 5,000 hours. The research by the Liberal Democrats found 207,013 hours worth of sewage were dumped in waters around England inhabited by shellfish in 2021 alone. The Lib Dems have called for a sewage tax on water companies, in order to create a fund aimed at preventing sewage from polluting rivers in future.

South West, Southern Water and Anglian Water were reportedly the utilities companies with the worst records. The opposition party claimed the longest sewage “dump event” into shellfish water last year took place at Morecambe Bay by United Utilities, lasting 5,000 hours.

David Jarrad, chief executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, said that sewage being pumped into the sea could lead to a “lack of trust in consumption of shellfish by the consumer” and “short-term closures of areas where… oysters, mussels, clams are allowed to harvested”. While Mr Jarrad said sewage could “potentially” impact the breeding of lobsters and crabs, it was shellfish such as oysters and mussels that were most at risk. “It is the filter feeders that are filtering the water that potentially has bacteria or viruses in it from the sewage, that is where the problem lies,” he said.

A spokesman for Water UK, which represents the water companies, said they agreed there is an “urgent need for action to tackle the harm caused to the environment by spills from storm overflows and wastewater treatment works” and are investing in £3 billion of improvements.

The Government said it expects the water companies to take further action to reduce pollution: “We have been clear that the failure of water companies to adequately reduce sewage discharges is completely unacceptable,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

The news follows reports of sewage alerts on beaches across the UK and reports that monitors being used for measuring the amount of sewage being pumped into the sea across the UK are faulty or not even installed. This latter news was disputed by Government.

The news story on shellfish waters received extensive coverage elsewhere, including BusinessGreen, the Guardian and the Independent. The news piece in the London Evening Standard can be read here.