‘It’s a shocker’: Fishermen stage demonstration in Whitby to raise awareness of shellfish deaths on Yorkshire and North East coast

On Thursday, February 23, around 100 fishermen, environmental activists, and local business owners gathered in Whitby to raise awareness of thousands of dead crustaceans that have been washing up on the Yorkshire and North East coast since 2021.

The demonstration included a lively march through Whitby with music and drums as well as beach art and speeches.

Local fishermen have said that their livelihoods are at risk due to significantly reduced catches which they blame on dredging in the Tees, and have called on the Government for further testing.

This follows the findings of the independent crustacean mortality expert panel (CMEP) set by the Government, which looked into the deaths and said that “it is about as likely as not that a pathogen new to UK waters – a potential disease or parasite – caused the unusual crab mortality”.

However, the findings of the expert panel have been disputed and Sir Robert Goodwill, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby and chair of the environment, food and rural affairs committee has been among those calling for more testing.

He said in January that the panel “did not completely discount” dredging on the River Tees as the reason.

But earlier this month, the secretary of state for the environment, Thérèse Coffey, said that “no further analysis will be undertaken by the government”.

Those who gathered in Whitby on Wednesday were adamant that dredging is the cause of the shellfish deaths, with many stating they were concerned about the impact of possible pollutants on the town’s tourism industry as well as fishing.

‘It’s a shocker’

Taking part in the demonstration on Thursday, Andrew Wilson, a 23-year-old fisherman who has been in the industry for three years, said he enjoyed the work but was now considering looking for other jobs.

Mr Wilson said: “We’re supposed to start earning now, but when I look at my bank statements and what’s been coming in over the past year, it doesn’t compare.

“It’s a shocker, really, because I’ve just started working as a fisherman and I want to have this as my only job, but it’s not viable and I’m gonna have to look at working somewhere else.”

His colleague, Clive Easton, who has worked as a fisherman for 40 years, said: “If you were on several hundred pounds a day for crab, you’re not getting that now.

“You’ll get four or five crabs instead of two or three boxes.”

He added: “If it’s a disease, they should be finding out what it is, not just saying ‘we don’t know what it is’.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Now it’s spreading and we’re just hoping it isn’t bad. But you can’t plan anything, you’re just stuck.”

There have been calls for a dedicated fund to support affected fishermen and the regeneration of crab and lobster stocks, including by members of Scarborough Council’s cabinet.

But in February, Thérèse Coffey MP, the secretary of state for the environment, said there was “no question of the government providing any compensation or specific support”.

She added that since April 2021, more than £2m had been given to seafood businesses in the North East through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme.

‘They deserve some support and honesty’

Alan Page, who has worked as a fisherman for several decades, said he had seen a 60 per cent reduction in his earnings.

Asked what the solution was, Mr Page, as did many others, said: “Stop the dredging and let’s get more testing done.”

Thursday’s demonstration also saw support from local politicians, including Cllr Marion Watson, a Conservative representing the Danby & Mulgrave ward on Scarborough Council.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It is totally devastating to see these family, friends, and lifelong colleagues with nothing and I’m quite embarrassed to be a Conservative at the moment because they are just not listening.

“It is definitely the dumping from the River Tees that is causing this, there are no parasites or algal bloom. It is all pyridine and other toxic waste from the Tees that is doing it, and they deserve some support and honesty.”

Cllr Watson added that the Government should continue investigating the cause of the shellfish deaths “more independently than it has been”.

However, in February, the secretary of state said that while “some highly localised fishing grounds suffered significant mortalities,” a stock monitoring report found that as the 2022 season progressed “lobster landings at a regional level were in line with seasonal expectations”.

She also said that “it is highly unlikely that we will find the cause”.

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council said this week that he would “follow up” on the possibility of compensation for fishermen affected by reduced shellfish catches.