LONDON (AP) 鈥� British scientists said Friday they don鈥檛 think pollution killed thousands of crabs that washed up on beaches in northeast England, though they are unsure what did cause the unusual die-off.
The crustaceans were found dead or dying along more than 70 kilometers (44 miles) of coastline in late 2021, with some displaying unusual 鈥渢witching鈥� while in the throes of death.
Environmentalists suspected toxins released by dredging to expand a port in Teesside, a heavily industrial area, might have been responsible. Research last year by academics, backed by the fishing industry, suggested the industrial pollutant pyridine, possibly from dredging at the mouth of the River Tees, as a potential cause.
But a panel of scientists and industry experts set up by the British government said it found no evidence pollutants were to blame.
The group, chaired by Gideon Henderson, chief scientific adviser to the government鈥檚 environment department, said it was 鈥渧ery unlikely鈥� that pyridine or another toxic pollutant caused the die-off.
鈥淲e just could not find evidence for high levels of pyridine in the coastal sea water,鈥� said Lancaster University environmental chemist Crispin Halsall, who worked on the report.
The group concluded it was 鈥渁bout as likely as not鈥� that a pathogen new to U.K. waters 鈥� a potential disease or parasite 鈥� caused the crab deaths. The scientists said they were unable to identify what pathogen, if any, was responsible.
鈥淲e鈥檝e come up with probably more questions than answers,鈥� Tammy Horton, a researcher at Britain鈥檚 National Oceanography Center who worked on the study, said.
She said it was 鈥渉ighly unlikely鈥� there would be any human health implications from a pathogen of crab and 鈥渟eafood would be safe to eat.鈥�
The Associated Press
