Tonnes of dead animals have washed up out of the sea onto UK beaches, including starfish, crabs and razor clams. A long line of dead and dying fish has been found along the beaches between Marske and Saltburn in Teesside.
It follows tonnes of whitebait washing up into a swimming pool in Devon earlier this month. Marske resident Sharon Bell saw a similar wash-up in October 2021, which led to a government investigation into the cause.
Government department Defra launched a probe which said the most likely cause was an algal bloom - but the findings continue to be heavily disputed by fishermen, conservation campaigners and an independent marine expert who maintain high levels of a chemical called pyridine, used in industry, are behind the deaths.
Sharon has taken pictures of the most recent wash ups, noted in large numbers on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and has sent them to the Environment Agency. Officers continue to monitor the coastline.
"I got that absolute sinking feeling and just thought 'oh no, not again'," said Sharon. "I got to the bottom of the steps and looked this morning and couldn't believe it. You can't say 100% what the cause is but it looks like it did last year.
"Last year there were lots of crabs and lobsters, the piles were so big you were walking in them. This year the piles go right along, from Marske towards where the beach becomes Saltburn beach. There are all sorts of creatures, star fish, mussels, fish. The shellfish are still inside them, hanging out. I have never seen starfish like this, creatures of every colour. Nothing is alive."
Razor clam shells on Marske beach
There are some crabs and lobsters amongst the piles, she said, but not many. The crabs are also smaller than they were last year. A video taken on Saltburn beach and shared to social media on Wednesday morning also shows huge piles of razor clam shells along the shoreline.
Charities including the RSPB have added their voice for calls for the investigation to be reopened.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Officers are attending reports of seaweed and deceased marine life being washed up on beaches on the North East coast. This is a regular occurrence at this time of year and follows stormy conditions over the weekend which can often have a significant impact on the marine environment.
“We are mindful of the high number of shellfish washed up last winter, and continue to monitor stocks closely. A comprehensive investigation was conducted earlier this year, concluding a naturally occurring algal bloom was the most likely cause.”
