Councillors right to call for public inquiry into the death of shellfish in North Yorkshire - The Yorkshire Post says

Pressure is growing for further investigations to be conducted into the death of shellfish and local councillors are right to take up the issue.

Cllr Neil Swannick, who represents the Streonshalh ward in Whitby, said it was “astonishing” that further research into the cause of the shellfish deaths was not being undertaken by the Government.

A cross-party group of opposition councillors has also announced that they will be calling for a public inquiry into the die-offs at the next full meeting of North Yorkshire Council on May 17.

A panel formed by the Government said the “most likely” cause of the deaths was an unidentified “pathogen new to UK waters” such as “a potential disease or parasite”. But earlier this week even Dr Alex Ford, a marine biology expert who was on the panel, said more work can be done to establish a clear cause of the deaths.

Senior Tories have come out fighting not on the side of biodiversity but against those who seek answers to the mass die-off in 2021.

The Conservative Party should be concerned at ceding ground on marine preservation. Coastal communities and indeed people who care about the environment will not forget at the ballot box.

It isn’t a surprise that concerns have piqued following attempts by the likes of Simon Clarke, MP Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley Mayor, to cow those who seek answers, including The Yorkshire Post.