TV documentary explores mass shellfish deaths off Whitby and surrounding coastline

A new documentary showing the mass mortality of crabs off Whitby and the Yorkshire coast is due to be shown on TV tonight (Friday October 21).

The 30-minute programme, We Are England: Trouble at Sea, follows the local community – including Whitby fishermen – as they deal with the fallout from the ecological disaster and try to find answers through recent academic results.

October 2021 saw the beginning of an environmental catastrophe on the north east coast, as thousands of crustaceans washed up dead along numerous beaches.

The BBC documentary series We Are England is a BBC series that explores the big national issues that matter, told from a regional perspective, championing the voices and stories of local people.

Whitby fisherman James Cole.placeholder image
Whitby fisherman James Cole.

The programme will be broadcast on October 21 on BBC One at 7.30pm and is transmitted regionally in Lincolnshire, the North West and Yorkshire.

It also goes out on BBC One’s HD channel and will be up on iPlayer too.

News you can trust since 1882
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice