Shellfish deaths: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee calls for investigation

The mass die-off on 40 miles (70km) of coastline saw shellfish washed ashore between October and December 2021

Further investigations must be carried out into the deaths of thousands of shellfish off the North East and North Yorkshire coast, a committee has said.

Since late 2021, thousands of marine life, including crabs, have washed up between Hartlepool and Whitby.

In a letter to the Environment Secretary, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said an urgent study into the mass die-off was needed.

The government has previously said it "may never find the cause".

Mystery surrounds the cause of the mass die-off but an expert panel's report said "a novel pathogen was the most likely" cause.

Scarborough and Whitby Conservative MP Sir Robert Goodwill, who is the chairman of the committee, said the new study should provide "as definitive an explanation as possible".

The government previously said it "may never find the cause" behind the deaths of thousands of shellfish off the North East and North Yorkshire coast

The letter also said: "The committee believes that further work should be undertaken to identify this novel pathogen, given the importance of determining its origin, its vectors of transmission, its transmissibility, its virulence and other factors related to it.

"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."

Relevant government units, including the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Environment Agency, should carefully monitor the area and "stand ready to respond quickly to a similar event in the future," the letter added.

Measures should include "thorough sampling and testing for chemical pollutants such as pyridine," it said.

The committee also called on the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs to "swiftly complete" its analysis of the economic impact of the incident and, pending its outcome, provide financial support to those affected and for the regeneration of crab and lobster stocks.

It said it was hoping for a response within two weeks.

Defra has been approached for comment.