24 Sep 2024
The below is an abridged version of a report in The Conversation, by Prof. Alex Ford, Prof. Crispin Halsall and Prof. Mark Fitzsimons In October 2021, thousands of dead and dying crabs and lobsters washed up along 70km of coastline in north-east England. This mass-mortality event coincided with the redevelopment of one of the UK’s largest ports […]
14 May 2024
From 12th May 2024, selected interim measures will be implemented in Scotland for inshore fishing vessels, including: prohibition on landing of egg-bearing crab and lobster into Scotland controls on creel fishing vessels of more than 12 meters overall with a track record of landing more than 200 tonnes of crab and / or lobster in […]
22 Nov 2022
Campaigners who blame dredging for a die-off of shellfish along the North East coast have called for a halt to the practice in the River Tees while investigations continue. In October 2021, thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were found washed up on the Tees estuary and neighbouring north-east beaches. Countless crustaceans were found, with Marske […]
15 Nov 2022
An independent panel of external experts is to be set up to assess the evidence surrounding the deaths of large numbers of crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, on the North East coast between September and December 2021. In a letter to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer confirmed Defra’s […]
04 Oct 2022
A toxic chemical is more likely to have caused thousands of crab deaths than natural algae, a study has claimed. There has been extensive coverage regarding the high number of crab and lobster deaths that occurred in the North East last year, following the publication of a new study. The story was covered in the […]
21 Jun 2022
A batch of baby lobsters has been released into the sea on the Yorkshire coast to kickstart a scheme aimed at replenishing dwindling stocks, the BBC has reported. They were raised from eggs by the Whitby Lobster Hatchery which aims to rear 100,000 juveniles every year. The boost to local populations would “ensure the sustainability […]
07 Jun 2022
Defra has now published the report into the dead crabs and lobsters on the north-east coast. We reported in early November 2021 on the news of large crustacean mortality, as well as subsequent updates on the investigation and reports of further accounts of dead crabs and lobsters. The Environment Agency immediately launched an emergency investigation, […]
08 Feb 2022
Defra and partner agencies have completed a thorough investigation of the cause of dead crabs and lobsters which were found washed up on the North East coast between October and December 2021. Following significant testing and modelling to rule out possible causes, Defra and partner agencies consider that the deaths of the crabs and lobsters […]
