'No causal link' between milk processing and Blackwater fish kill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that "no causal link" has been found between milk processing activity and a major fish kill in the River Blackwater in Co. Cork.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has said that between 8,000 and 10,000 fish are estimated to have died in the River Blackwater the last two weeks.
Earlier this summer, the EPA said that it was investigating a discharge to water by North Cork Creameries to the River Allow.
The River Allow flows into Kanturk, where North Cork Creameries is located. The river is connected, via the River Dalua, to the River Blackwater.
The EPA said at the time that it had opened a "compliance Investigation" in relation to the discharge incident which occurred in late June.
However, it appears there is no connection between that discahrge incident and the recent fish kill in the Blackwater.
In a statement to Agriland, the EPA said: "The EPA is conducting a compliance investigation into issues at North Cork Creameries related to the quality of effluent discharges into the River Allow.
"Based on the investigation to date, there is no causal link between the site's emissions and the...loss of fish life further downstream in the River Blackwater."
The EPA said that North Cork Creameries is taking various actions on site in relation to the discharge incident in June to reduce inputs to their waste water treatment plant and restore compliance with their licence.
IFI, meanwhile, said: "The EPA, which has been liaising with IFI's lead senior fisheries environmental officer throughout the [Blackwater] investigation, inspected water treatment plants and licenced commercial discharges in the affected area.
"The EPA's preliminary results did not report anything of concern," IFI said.
Regarding the fish kill, IFI acting CEO Suzanne Campion said: "The large fish kill on the River Blackwater is very distressing for anglers and others who enjoy the river.
"It is also distressing for IFI staff who have devoted many years caring for fish in the catchment," Campion said.
The IFI said that estimating the number of dead fish is difficult due to the fact that some dead fish will be taken by predators, caught under banks out of sight, will sink to the bottom of pools or be washed downstream.
It is also possible for the same fish to be reported by more than one observer.
IFI said that the Marine Institute advised that there is no precedent for dead fish to be removed from the river, and therefore dead fish should be left where they are found.
