RAISING FUNDS FOR THE NORTH EAST FISHING COLLECTIVE TO BE USED FOR 'PROTECT THE TEES' CAMPAIGN

The North East Fishing Collective (NEFC) was formed in response to the catastrophic mass die-off of crabs and lobsters in 2021. Fishermen, scientists, researchers and coastal communities came together in alarm at what unfolded along the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire coastline.

Since then, we have continued to witness worrying signs — including harbour seal pups dying, with evidence pointing toward PCB contamination.

Despite this, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has now granted a major new 10-year licence for maintenance dredging on the River Tees and Hartlepool.

We believe this decision is not only dangerous but unlawful. A legal challenge is now being brought to overturn the licence and demand safeguards for our marine environment.

NEFC is supporting this challenge and raising funds to enable campaigner Simon Gibbon to pursue judicial review on behalf of the coast and the communities who depend on it.

The Legal Case: A Failure to Test

At the heart of the case is a simple but serious failure: the regulator has not followed the safety rules it is bound by.

Before dredged material is dumped at sea, it must be proven safe. This falls under the OSPAR Convention. While the MMO claims alignment with OSPAR Guidelines, the sampling evidence tells a different story.

To meet OSPAR requirements, 835 sediment samples would be needed for the 1,660 hectares covered by this licence. Yet the MMO approved it based on only 31 samples.

By sampling just 3.7% of what is required, the MMO is effectively dredging blind — without knowing what is being disturbed or released into our seas.

What Are They Digging Up?

The River Tees carries a legacy of 150+ years of heavy industrial activity — steelmaking, shipbuilding, chemical manufacture, oil refining, and more.

That history is now stored in the sediments as a toxic archive of contaminants, including:

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

PCBs and PBDEs

Trace metals and organochlorines

Even limited testing has shown these materials are present. The MMO already prohibits dredging in some areas due to contamination — yet without adequate sampling density, safe sediment cannot be reliably distinguished from hazardous material.

With proper testing, dredging could be targeted and managed safely. The current licence instead risks releasing toxic material across an already stressed ecosystem.

Our Goal

We are not seeking to stop the river operating. We understand maintenance dredging is necessary for navigation and industry.

What we are demanding is that it is done safely and legally.

The fundraising effort will support Simon’s legal challenge to require the MMO to:

Follow OSPAR sampling requirements (835 samples — not 31)

Identify contamination hotspots properly

Ensure only safe sediment is dumped at sea

Why We Need Your Support

Legal action against government bodies is costly — but the cost of inaction could be incalculable.

If this 10-year licence stands unchallenged, we risk a decade of toxic dispersal that may irreversibly damage the marine environment of the Tees and the wider North Sea.

We are asking for donations to help us hold regulators to account, safeguard our wildlife, and protect the livelihoods tied to these waters.

Learn More

You can read Simon’s breakdown of the OSPAR Convention and sampling requirements — including OSPAR Agreement 2014-06 — in his Sediment Sampling Guidelines.

Further documentation of contamination in the river, presentations, and analyses related to the 2021 die-off can be found at northeastfc.uk.