Tyne Rivers Trust calls for long-term action following River Tyne nurdle spill
Tyne Rivers Trust has warned that the plastic pellet spill affecting the River Tyne and North East coastline must be treated as a long-term ecological issue, as well as an immediate clean-up challenge.
The environmental charity, which is dedicated to protecting and improving the River Tyne and its tributaries, says the full consequences for fish, wildlife and river habitats may take months or years to understand.
Small plastic pellets, known as nurdles, entered the River Tyne following a collision at the Port of Tyne on Sunday 19 July. Since then, pellets have been reported within the tidal river system and across a widening area of the North East coastline.
Sophia Stovall, Chief Executive Officer of Tyne Rivers Trust, said: “It is far too early to know the full environmental consequences of this incident, but experience from other major nurdle spills suggests it is unlikely to be remembered solely as a short-term clean-up problem.
“Nurdles are extremely difficult to recover completely once they enter a river or marine environment. They can be transported by tides, currents and wind, become trapped within habitats and continue to move through the river, estuary and coastline long after the initial incident.”
Potential impact on wildlife and the food chain
Nurdles are usually between 1mm and 5mm in size and are used as the raw material to manufacture many everyday plastic products.
Their small size and appearance mean they can be mistaken for food by fish, seabirds and other wildlife. Ingesting plastic pellets can contribute to physical harm, malnutrition and starvation by making animals feel full without providing any nutritional value.
The impacts may also extend through the wider food chain. Predators such as kingfishers and otters depend on healthy fish populations and functioning river ecosystems.
Nurdles can also attract and carry other pollutants and bacteria. Over time, they weather and fragment into increasingly small pieces of microplastic, creating a source of pollution that persist for many years.
Sophia continued: “Our expertise is in river ecology rather than pollution incident response, but we understand the impact plastic pollution can have on fish, wildlife and habitats.
“The pellets may be small, but the potential ecological impact is not. Every nurdle left in the environment creates another opportunity for wildlife to mistake it for food and another source of plastic pollution within the river and marine environment."
They say because the Tyne is tidal, pellets may move both upstream and downstream with changing tides and currents.
Natural features, changes in river level and engineered structures may limit their movement in some locations. However, pellets may also become trapped in sheltered inlets, vegetation, sediments and connected watercourses, where they can be particularly difficult to locate and recover.
They say community response has been remarkable
Tyne Rivers Trust has praised the response from residents, volunteers, local authorities, specialist contractors and community organisations working to recover the pellets and protect affected areas.
Sophia said: “The response from communities across the North East has been remarkable.
“People have given up their time to help protect the Tyne, our coastline and local wildlife. Every pellet removed is one less pellet in the environment, and volunteers are making a real contribution to reducing the potential for further harm.
“It is important that this work remains safe and coordinated. We would not advise people to enter the river to recover nurdles, and anyone wishing to help should follow the latest guidance from the relevant local authority.”
Tyne Rivers Trust is encouraging people to report sightings through official local authority reporting routes and to record observations through Fidra’s Great Nurdle Hunt.
The information gathered through reporting and citizen science will help build a clearer picture of where nurdles are travelling and accumulating and support future environmental monitoring and response planning.
Moving from immediate response to long-term action
Tyne Rivers Trust has initially responded by sharing trusted public guidance, supporting staff and volunteers who have joined organised clean-up activity and helping to raise awareness of the potential impact on the river.
The charity is now moving from this immediate, reactive phase towards planning how its scientific expertise, partnerships, volunteering and citizen-science programmes can support the longer-term response.
Sophia said: “Recovery is only part of the story. The longer-term challenge is understanding what this incident means for fish, wildlife, habitats and the wider river ecosystem over months and years, not simply days and weeks.
“We are now considering how our environmental monitoring, citizen science, volunteers and partnerships can contribute to that work.
“We also want to understand how plastic pollution and the legacy of this spill can be reflected in our education and engagement activity, helping communities, river users and young people understand the pressures facing the Tyne and the role they can play in protecting it.”
As host organisation of the Tyne Catchment Partnership, Tyne Rivers Trust intends to bring together organisations working across the river catchment to share evidence, consider the longer-term implications and explore what coordinated action may be required.
The Partnership provides a forum through which environmental organisations, public bodies, researchers, businesses, land managers and community groups can work together across the whole river system.
A coordinated response
Tyne Rivers Trust recognises the scale and complexity of the response required following the collision and says no single organisation can address the challenge alone.
The charity believes collaboration will be essential, not only during the immediate recovery operation but also in understanding and mitigating the longer-term effects.
Sophia said: “There will rightly be investigations into what happened and the response to the incident.
“Our focus as an environmental charity is not on determining responsibility, but on understanding and minimising the impact on the River Tyne, its wildlife and the communities that care about it.
“The scale and complexity of this incident requires collaboration between the Port, regulators, local authorities, environmental organisations, researchers, businesses and local communities.
“We want to play a constructive role by contributing our expertise in river ecology, environmental monitoring, citizen science, partnership working and community engagement.”
Tyne Rivers Trust is seeking discussions with the Port of Tyne and other partners about the future response, including environmental monitoring, coordinated observations, data sharing, volunteer involvement and the lessons that should be learned from the incident.
They say prevention must remain the priority
The Trust says the spill should also lead to wider discussions about how plastic pellets are handled and transported and what additional measures may be needed to prevent future losses into the environment.
Sophia said: “Once plastic pellets have entered a river or marine environment, complete recovery is extremely difficult.
“We need to learn from this incident and recognise that stronger standards, safeguards and accountability are required around the handling and transportation of nurdles.
“Prevention must remain the most effective form of environmental protection.”
The spill comes on top of the many existing pressures affecting rivers, including chemicals, road runoff, litter, sediment, sewage and other forms of plastic pollution.
While significant progress has been made in restoring the River Tyne, Tyne Rivers Trust says incidents such as this demonstrate how easily environmental improvements can be put at risk and that rivers require ongoing care and investment.
Sophia concluded: “The River Tyne is a constant presence in the life of our region, and it can be easy to take it for granted.
“This incident reminds us that healthy rivers require ongoing care, investment and stewardship.
“We must continue caring for the river long after the immediate clean-up and media attention have moved on.”