The fishermen of Whitby and along the Northeast coast are very concerned with the die off (Mass Mortality) of marine species including Crabs and Lobsters on which their livelihoods depend. DEFRA has ruled out chemical pollution as a causative agent but speculate that it has been caused by an ‘algal bloom’. However, the fishermen were not happy with this explanation and commissioned a report from Marine Pollution Research and Consultancy to investigate the veracity of DEFRA’s explanation and examine other more probable causative agents.

The results of this investigation are damning, as DEFRA and its associated agencies were sitting on evidence leading to the inference that their explanation was knowingly false and intended to hide the true cause of the Mass Mortality of marine species; this evidence was not voluntarily forthcoming but had been extracted by means of Freedom of Information requests.

So, what is the basis of DEFRA’s claim of an algal bloom as the causative agent? Have water temperatures been unduly high, encouraging such growth? No, they have not. Has DEFRA obtained water samples which substantiate their claim? No, they have not. No, DEFRA has produced an evidence free explanation for the Mass Mortality intended to mislead as to the true cause.

The government as part of their levelling up agenda decided to create Freeports including the Teesside port of Middlesborough, an old industrial town. These Freeports will require harbour access for deep draught vessels, the government fondly hopes; hence the river Tees has been dredged of millions of tonnes of spoil accumulated over very many years. Unfortunately, this spoil once dredged and dumped at sea exposed the marine life to highly toxic chemicals including Pyridine which had been sequestered in the riverbed from industrial outflows. 

The government and DEFRA have tried to hide the truth which is that Pyridine concentrations in some marine species in the Northeast are 80 times higher than in Penzance. However, democracy cannot truly function if the people are kept in ignorance and decisions are taken behind closed doors by people who may not be best qualified to reach them.

The UK Independence Party would abolish DEFRA and ensure that our native Fishing industry was very substantially revitalised.

John Gartside,

UK Independence Party Spokesman for Fishing