The Chair of the Commons EFRA Committee has written to Therese Coffey, Defra Secretary of State, following the recent publication of the independent Crustacean Mortality Expert Panel’s report on the mass die-off on the north east coast of England. Below are some extracts from the letter:

• The Committee notes in the letter that the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, told the House on 26 January: “I am considering carefully if further analysis by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) can ascertain conclusively the cause of this unusual mortality”.
• The Committee believes that further work should be undertaken to identify this novel pathogen. Indeed, as the independent Panel highlighted, a conclusive result from the broad diagnostic screening of samples would significantly affect the level of confidence in the novel pathogen theory.
• We also noted the reported comments on this matter of the Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Lord Benyon, that “undoubtedly we’re going to need some additional research” which he made on 25 January at the Coastal Futures Conference.
• The Committee is of the opinion that CEFAS must undertake further analysis in regard to the novel pathogen theory…… and we recommend that you instruct CEFAS to conduct this study as a matter of urgency.

Separately, the North East Fishing Collective have also written to the Secretary of State calling on her to ask CEFAS to conduct analysis and to share that information with the universities independently considering the issue. A link to the letter can be found here.

The full letter from the Chair of the Commons EFRA Committee to Therese Coffey, Defra Secretary of State, can be read here.