At least 400 fish have been killed in the St. Johnston Burn River in Co. Donegal due to pollution, according to Loughs Agency.
Loughs Agency discovered a “pollutive substance” which was “clearly visible” in the river on Tuesday, June 25 and immediately instigated an investigation.
An estimated 7km of the watercourse has been affected and it is anticipated that the number of discovered fish carcasses will increase in the coming days.
Statutory samples were taken for analysis and investigations are continuing into the cause of the incident, but according to Loughs Agency, fishery officers are “confident” that they have identified the source.
There will be resources at the site of the incident until the investigation is complete.
Anyone who discovers a dead fish in the area is asked to leave the fish where it was found and contact Loughs Agency directly to arrange collection with a fishery officer.
Water pollution
Meanwhile, in recent days Donegal County Council, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Loughs Agency have investigated incidents involving pollution of waters by silage effluent discharges.
Some of the incidents have led directly to “significant fish kills”, according to Donegal County Council.
“These have arisen for a variety of reasons but the fundamental cause in many cases is failure to collect and hold effluent emanating from pit silage,” the council has stated.
The council has asked farmers to check the conditions of all surface water drains leaving their farmyard, including piped drains, and to ensure that this or any other polluting effluent is not being discharged into any water-course.
“The farmers involved may not have been aware of these discharges, which may have arisen through corrosion of concrete over time and they are often obscured from view by dense vegetation around pits and fenced-off open drains,” Donegal County Council stated.
“Any discharge, no matter how small, should be halted and remedied immediately,” the council added.