Shelling out to protect lobsters

Jul 23 2009 By Christopher Knox, The Journal

A North East mining company has vowed to protect the humble lobster as it carries out a thorough environmental survey to help expand its activities beneath the seabed off East Cleveland. Christopher Knox investigates.

CLEVELAND Potash Limited (CPL) at Saltburn by the Sea is already one of the biggest companies of its type in the UK and it is now undergoing a major expansion which it hopes will secure its future for another generation.

The firm, which was set up in the 1960s, already mines more than one million tonnes of potash yearly for fertilisers and half-a-million tonnes of salt from its mile-deep mine at Boulby in North Yorkshire. And it is now developing a new source of potash.

Last year the firm received a £1.95m investment from regional development agency One North East to access new deposits in the south side of Boulby mine in partnership with its parent company ICL (Israel Chemicals Ltd).

Boulby mine, the deepest of its kind in Europe, operates a network of tunnels 3,600ft below ground extending up to 10 miles under the North Sea, but the company is constantly in search of new deposits – an expensive process due to their depth and difficult location.

It now believes it has only two to three years’ worth of reserves at the mine and is keen to explore surrounding areas in order to secure its 1,000-strong workforce as well as the 4,000 workers it supports across its supply chains.

The firm is also looking to maintain its impressive turnover through the new sites, with sales hovering around the £100m mark over recent years.

The company, the biggest employer in East Cleveland, has always prided itself on its green credentials but has become even more aware of its responsibility to preserve the coastal ecology following research carried out on its behalf by Newcastle University in preparation for the survey.

The survey, which is scheduled for the end of this month, will involve laying a series of cables with hydrophones on the sea floor and discharging a series of energy pulses from compressed air guns as they are towed across the cables.

Hydrophones record the energy reflected back by the various rock strata beneath the sea floor, with the data sent to a ship above.

The area is renowned for its high density of soft-shell lobsters, and after consultation with Newcastle University and local fishermen, CPL is aware it has to be careful not to damage their habitats or interrupt their mating season. The crustaceans mate between June and July, during which they shed their shells and assume a jelly-like state.

Although they can protect themselves by finding refuge in rocks and crags, the company was keen to support the welfare of the local fishing economy by avoiding these two months.

Experts from the university were commissioned to research the possible effects of sound waves on soft- shell lobsters. The results of that research, which indicated no increase in mortality, were presented to the fishermen at a meeting with CPL.

David McLuckie, external affairs officer at CPL, said: "We have been planning this survey for about two years and have invested £5m in it as the new reserves will support our work well into the future and secure the jobs of thousands of people.

"However, we were aware that we could not simply go ahead with the project without thorough consultation, which is why we approached Newcastle University’s marine sciences department.

"After looking into the research and chatting to local fishermen, we knew that we had to protect the local lobster stock as a priority during our investigations."

Another precaution that CPL is taking is to "V-notch" a proportion of female lobsters in the area. This involves cutting a small notch in one of the flaps on the tail of a female lobster to create an easily recognised mark for up to two moults.

When a lobster is marked in this way, it is illegal to land, possess or sell it and it must be returned live to the sea. This ensures the lobster has an opportunity to breed at least once before the notch grows out, as female lobsters generally breed and moult in alternate years.

The mining company has decided to split the survey area into five sections, allowing fishing to take place in the sections not under survey. This means that more than 75% of the area will be available for fishing at any one time.

It has also excluded a particular section of the near shore from the survey, which had been of concern to the fishermen, and has also said it will ensure safety, and the smooth running of the operation, by using the locals on a look-out duty when an area is being surveyed.

"We would like to put on record our deep appreciation to the fishermen who throughout the negotiations have fairly represented their position while being understanding of the future needs of the mineworkers," said Mr McLuckie.

"They understand how important this project is to the economy, as any new site would provide between 10 to 15 years’ worth of mining."

The firm is also heavily involved with the North East Carbon Management Programme, which was launched last year to support 19 energy-intensive manufacturing companies in the region.

Its aim is to cut carbon emission and energy consumption, with the aim of making savings of more than £60m as well as reducing carbon output by 500,000 tonnes.

Mr McLuckie said: "A business like ours has to be aware of the effects it can have on the environment.

"This is why we are the only mine we know of in the world that has EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) accreditation.

"We are also aware of the importance of the local fishing economy, which is why we have been so careful in our approach to this project. There have been difficulties in the UK market but we must ensure that we are in a strong position once it recovers."