Oil spill from Stanlow Refinery halts cockle fishery, prompting environmental concerns
An urgent update has been issued after an oil spill in the River Mersey led to an activity being banned until further notice. The Environment Agency is currently investigating the spill from the Stanlow Oil Refinery.
On September 24, the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Association (NWIFCA), said: “Due to a recent pollution incident in mouth of the River Mersey, Leasowe cockle fishery will not be opening on 30th September 2024. Following consultations between the Food Standards Agency and Mersey Port Health Authority, it has been determined that the opening of the fishery will be deferred to a later date.
“Investigations and remediation of the spill are currently ongoing, led by the Environment Agency. Chemical contamination sampling of Leasowe cockle bed will be conducted by Mersey Port Health Authority and the Foods Standards Agency will be conducting a risk assessment.
“The opening of the fishery currently remains subject to the assessment of the risks and when the conditions allow for it.”
The issue of the spill was first raised with the LDRS by Simon Ward, who fishes for cockles on the north Wirral shoreline. He said: “We are losing money because of it. The price will likely drop to a pound per kilo in the winter.
“Now it would be £1.50 a kilo but by the time we get into November, the meal really starts to go on the cockles. If you get around 500 kilos a day, you’re losing about £250 a day.”
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are currently investigating an incident of oil pollution in the River Mersey that occurred on September 12.
“We immediately attended and took swift action to identify the source and work with the relevant company to reduce the impact on the environment. Thankfully, we received no reports of dead fish or affected wildlife.
“We take pollution seriously and we will take appropriate enforcement action as required. We encourage anyone who witnesses pollution to report it to our incident line 24/7, on 0800 80 70 60 so we can investigate.”
The LDRS approached Essar Energy after reports the spill had come from the Stanlow Oil Refinery near Ellesmere Port. A spokesperson for EET Fuels said: “There was a minor oil spill incident that occurred at Stanlow on 12 September. We activated the well-established processes we have in place to deal with this type of incident.
“We identified the source and took immediate action to rectify it. We informed the Environment Agency, who attended the site. We have also undertaken inspections to identify any potential impact on the waterways. We will continue to cooperate fully with the EA.
By Ed Barnes – Local Democracy Reporter
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