A SCOTTISH Government agency is investigating the mystery death of more than £20,000 worth of shellfish at a Highland harbour.

Around a dozen vessels operate from Wick Harbour in Caithness, mostly bringing in crab. The crustaceans are normally kept alive in “keeper creels” from Thursday nights until Sunday mornings when they are sold.

However, crews turned up last Sunday to find their entire week’s catch of between 12 and 15 tonnes dead – a devastating blow for the fishing community.

Aaron Wilson, who skippers the creeler Crest, told The National he had never seen anything like it.

“We lost more than £2,000 worth of crab, but there were others there who lost £5,000 or £6,000 of stock,” he said. “The harbour people don’t know what happened – they’ve said nothing to us. They got Sepa [the Scottish Environment Protection Agency] and Marine Scotland involved, but we’ve heard nothing from them either.

“I was going to get my own crabs analysed at the lab in Aberdeen but it was going to cost far too much. It is very strange because whatever it was killed them so fast, within a matter of hours. Not one crab was saved. Normally you would smell a dead crab but there was no smell – it’s very strange, I’ve never seen anything like it.

“I’ve had to change my buyer to one who will collect my catch every night so it isn’t lying in the harbour. Every night now we have a lorry waiting for us when we come in and the catch goes straight into that.”

Wilson and others said the harbour water appeared dark last weekend and was discoloured again yesterday.

“The water was dark on Sunday, as dark as I’ve seen it. Normally when you look over the boat you can see the bottom, but on Sunday you could see nothing,” he said. “A few of us noticed this morning that the water was looking very green today, it’s weird. Some people have said it could be seaweed, but I don’t know.

“It’s devastating when you’re coming up towards Christmas and you lose that kind of money.”

Highland Councillor Gillian Coghill said everything appeared normal after the fishermen tied up their boats on Friday night, but that changed over the weekend.

She said: “Samples were taken on Sunday and I have spoken to the Sepa rep up here who says their remit is really only in fresh-water areas. Marine Scotland landed up on Wednesday to see what was wrong and I also got the food standards office of the council involved.

“To date I have been told that it could be due to seaweed, but tests are still being carried out on the crabs and the water.”

Willie Watt, chairman of Wick Harbour Authority, told The National they had been working with various authorities to establish what happened to the shellfish.

He said: “This was devastating for the fishermen who rely on their catch for their livelihoods and we are very concerned about the cause.

“We reported it on Sunday and we’ve had marine scientists and biologists here and they’re all doing their level best to establish exactly what it is.

“The fishermen usually keep their week’s catch live in the water in keeper creels in the harbour ready to sell on the Sunday.

“We think it’s a natural phenomenon that’s disturbed the salt water, but that’s still to be confirmed.

“We’re working with the agencies to solve it and with any investigation it’s easy to jump to conclusions, but until all the facts are known we are unable to make any further comment.”

Marine Scotland is the agency tasked with integrating management of Scotland’s seas.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Marine Scotland are aware of dead crabs that have been found in Wick Harbour. Crab and water samples have been taken to try and explain the cause of death and more information will be made available when possible.”