By Bhvishya Patel for MailOnline

Fishermen have described how their catches dried up ‘in a single day’ and their companies taken to the brink of collapse, after hundreds of useless crabs and lobsters had been washed up on seashores alongside the North East of England.

An investigation is underneath approach by the Atmosphere Company after useless shellfish – in some circumstances waist deep – started showing alongside the Teesside coast between Marske and Saltburn, North Yorkshire, in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, and Seaham, final autumn.

It’s understood that lab evaluation will check the water for air pollution whereas additionally analysing the useless marine life for parasites and illness. 

Now, fishing boat house owners have described how the invention of the useless sea creatures has ‘completely decimated’ their companies.  

Ken Clarke, 57, who has fished lobsters and crabs off South Gare for 40 years, as did his father earlier than him, mentioned he had not had a wage for 3 months.

Paul Harrison (pictured), who owns the Catch of the Day shop in Middlesbrough, said that there were 'hardly any lobsters' along the coast now

Paul Harrison (pictured), who owns the Catch of the Day store in Middlesbrough, mentioned that there have been ‘hardly any lobsters’ alongside the coast now

Fishermen off Teesside's coast say their catches have dried up 'overnight' after dead lobsters and crabs washed up on beaches along the North East of England

Fishermen off Teesside’s coast say their catches have dried up ‘in a single day’ after useless lobsters and crabs washed up on seashores alongside the North East of England

He instructed Teeside Stay: ‘It stopped in a single day. It was like anyone flicked a swap.

‘I have not had a wage for 3 months. Lots of people are wanting into it. It appears unusual, you’d suppose if there’s one thing there they might discover it.

‘I have been to conferences no person appears in a position to put their finger on something. The issue appears to be spreading down the coast, all the way in which to Scarborough.’

Mr Clarke mentioned he fished earlier than Christmas and received simply ‘three or 4 lobsters’ after a full day’s work.

He continued: ‘It is simply not possible. I’ve needed to lay off my crew. You’ll be able to’t maintain crews if you’re not getting paid. It knocks the stuffing out of you.

‘The larger boats that exit to sea are nonetheless catching. If it is your solely job, you are knackered.

‘All of us received an excellent hammering with [Storm Arwen] too, gear received badly broken, all of it got here ashore.

‘As as to if it’s very killed issues off, I do not know. We have got a protracted wait till the primary lobster season in July and August, to see if they arrive out.

‘I am unable to see there being something earlier than that. I have been fishing all my life – I’ve by no means recognized something like this.

‘You get quiet durations, however not stuff dying in a single day like this.’

Paul Harrison, who owns the Catch of the Day fish store in Middlesbrough, mentioned: ‘Alongside this coast there’s hardly any lobsters now, and for these you may get maintain of, the costs have gone foolish.

Pictured: Hundreds of dead and dying crabs along the shore between Saltburn and Markse

Pictured: A whole bunch of useless and dying crabs alongside the shore between Saltburn and Markse

Hundreds of dead crabs on the beach at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, last year

A whole bunch of useless crabs on the seashore at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, final yr

‘I cope with two suppliers. One has jacked in, he is on about promoting his boat as a result of there’s nothing on the market to catch.

‘One other lad went out all day for 3 lobsters, there’s nothing within the pots. It is horrible, heartbreaking.

‘They’re simply so upset about all of it. I promote numerous crabs and lobsters. They used to catch after which come within the store and see me.

‘I’ve not been in a position to get any regionally, I’ve to go quite a bit additional afield each couple of days.

‘Everyone has their theories, it appears to be heading south now. It is only a massive knock-on impact, it is completely decimated issues.

‘I do know lads which have traps on the prime of the Tees, on the Barrage. The whole lot was useless. ‘

In the meantime Dave Eland, 74, who has been fishing close to the previous steelworks in Redcar for 60 years, mentioned he noticed crabs ‘dying of their tons of’.

Mr Eland, who was one of many first to report the useless crabs to the Atmosphere Company, mentioned: ‘We acquire bait down there. I am down there with my son virtually every single day.

‘Crabs had been dying of their tons of, if not hundreds. It appears a little bit of a coincidence that this occurred shortly after the dredger turned up. I’ve 380 traps there.

‘Our traps had been turfing dozens and dozens of useless crabs. There have been solely two stay ones, the remainder had been useless, it was a couple of 98 per cent wipeout. I’ve received three pots down there.

‘Final time I checked, there have been two lobsters in them – each useless as a dodo. I have been happening there since I used to be a child.

‘That space was useless 30 or 40 years in the past, for the reason that clean-up occurred worms crabs began coming again. It was completely booming for years and years.

Pictured: Dead crabs spotted along the shore at Redcar on the Yorkshire coast

Pictured: Useless crabs noticed alongside the shore at Redcar on the Yorkshire coast  

‘Now it is nearly worn out.’

Some locals have mentioned they’re anxious dredging work on the Tees might have performed a component however Defra has dismissed the speculation as ‘hypothesis’.

And whereas investigations stay ‘ongoing’, the division has ‘dominated out’ each dredging and chemical pollution as a probable trigger.

James Cole, 52, chief of The Fisherman Affiliation, instructed Yorkshire Stay the issue is working its approach south.

‘Fishermen had seen different issues come ashore useless too, like octopuses and limpets which had come off the rocks, it will take a nuclear catastrophe for them to return off the rocks,’ he mentioned.

Mr Cole additionally claims to have spoken to a fisherman in his 20s from Hartlepool who had been residing off £100 wages for the final two months after his fishing enterprise was ruined from the dearth of sea creatures to fish. 

He added: ‘He mentioned he was suicidal, he phoned me up crying saying my life and my job are ruined.’

This month a lot of canine walkers additionally claimed their canines had fallen unwell following a stroll on the seashore at Orcombe Level close to Exmouth.