Please see a letter sent today from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee to the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of sea life mortality off the Northeast Coast of England.
Dr Neil Hudson MP for Penrith and The Border, and Member of the EFRA Committee said:
“Our cross party EFRA Select Committee has today urgently written to the new DEFRA Secretary following our Inquiry session on the catastrophic sea life mortality on the north coast of England. On my suggestion, our Committee has asked the Government Chief Scientific Officer to appoint an independent scientific panel to evaluate the two current hypotheses, an algal bloom or pyridine toxicity. We need to get to the bottom of what is the cause and make sure that sensible and safe recommendations regarding port maintenance can be made. And vitally, we must look at what can be done to support the local communities that have been devastated by these events.”
