Anglers in Northern Ireland say they are “fighting an uphill battle” against pollution incidents that have resulted in a spate of fish kills throughout the region.

As BBC News reports, thousands of fish have been lost in incidents across Northern Ireland rivers in recent weeks, including in the Four Mile Burn in Co Antrim last month where more than 1,000 brown trout were killed.

Hundreds more were lost in an incident on a tributary of the Skeoge River in Co Donegal earlier this month, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

While there is no specific cause identified behind these incidents, the chairman of the Ulster Angling Federation says the combination of factors including agricultural run-off and the dumping of raw sewage in waterways is killing angling in Northern Ireland.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is continuing to investigate a major fish kill in Co Cork in which at least 5,000 fish have died.

The pollution incident occurred on the River Allow, a tributary of the Munster Blackwater catchment at Freemount in the north of the county.

The incident occurred in a Special Area of Conservation, and the location is a noted spawning habitat.

Species of fish discovered dead include juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout, lamprey, eel, stone loach, roach and dace.

The river supports a population of freshwater pearl mussel, as well as being an abundant salmon and trout habitat.

Fisheries officers are still attempting to determine the scale of the kill, with fish mortalities observed up to 4km downstream of the source location.

IFI staff have been on site again on Monday (10 June) to investigate the pollution event, and assess the extent of the impact on the local environment.

Water samples have been taken from the river to gather evidence of the discharge, and source point of contamination, to advance any potential prosecution.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is continuing to investigate a fish kill in Co Donegal on Thursday (6 June) in which early indications suggest up to 250 fish may have died.

The pollution incident occurred on a tributary of the Skeoge River in Bridgend, Co Donegal, which flows into a Special Area of Conservation.

Fish mortalities were observed in a 1km stretch of the water, IFI says, with species including juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout, European eel and stickleback among the dead specimens found.

Fisheries environmental officers have been on site since early Thursday morning to investigate the incident. A number of samples have been taken from the river to gather evidence of the discharge.

Monitoring and assessment will continue to identify the cause of the fish kill, and the quality of the water, IFI adds.

Donegal County Council is also carrying out its own investigation into the pollution event.

More than 1,000 brown trout have been lost in a major fish kill on a Co Antrim river, as BBC News reports.

On Friday (17 May), Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed the incident resulting from slurry pollution of the Four Mile Burn, a tributary of the Six Mile Water.

Local anglers believe the fish kill is agriculture-related, with Antrim and District Angling Association president John Mitchell adding: “It’s just devastation, the whole tributary is dead.”

BBC News has much more on the story HERE.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is continuing to investigate a significant fish kill near Ballingarry, Co Tipperary in which up to 500 fish may have died.

The pollution incident occurred on the upper reaches of the Kings River, a major tributary of the River Nore.

Dead fish including salmon parr and large numbers of trout of all ages were observed for around four kilometres downstream to where the Kings and Crohane Rivers meet, IFI says.

IFI was alerted to the incident last Monday 15 April following reports from members of the public to its confidential 24/7 phone line.

Fisheries environmental officers are monitoring and assessing the water quality in the river to try to establish a conclusive source for this pollution event.

IFI understands that Tipperary County Council is also commencing an investigation into the Kings River discharge.

The State environmental agency with responsibility for Ireland’s freshwater fish and habitats appeals to members of the public to keep reporting issues of concern to our confidential 24/7 number at 0818 34 74 24.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has secured a prosecution against Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) after 40,000 litres of chemical leaked into a stream, killing 100 fish.

The incident happened on 11 June 2022 at the Whelan’s Bridge Stream, a tributary of the River Suir in Co Waterford, and caused the death of 100 fish including salmon, trout, lamprey and eels.

Uisce Éireann was found to have committed water pollution breaches at the Adamstown Water Treatment Plant at Kilmeadan, Co Waterford and must now pay more than €7,100 in connection with the incident.

Evidence was given by IFI Fisheries Environmental Officer Oliver McGrath who outlined the facts to the court.

Approximately 40,000 litres of aluminium sulphate — a chemical toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates — discharged into the stream from storage tanks on the plant site.

The defendants were found to have permitted or caused deleterious matter to enter into the waters of the Whelan’s Bridge Stream, contrary to Section 171 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.

Waterford District Court imposed a fine of €4,000 on Uisce Éireann, and it was also ordered to pay costs of €3114.60, when the case was finalised last week on Monday 26 February.

Commenting after the verdict, Lynda Connor, South Eastern River Basin District director at IFI said: “This outcome highlights IFI’s continued and determined efforts to protect and conserve Ireland's inland fisheries resource.

“Fish kills, such as these, are serious and damaging ecological events. It is critical that Uisce Éireann ensures that adequate systems and processes are in place to prevent any such incident recurring.”

A separate IFI investigation resulted in Uisce Éireann being fined €10,000 in relation to the death of 2,000 fish in Co Clare in May 2023, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has welcomed the outcome of its prosecution of Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) for chemical discharges to the Ballymacraven River in Ennistymon, Co Clare in May 2023.

At Ennis District Court on Friday 16 February, Uisce Éireann was fined €10,000 and must pay €8,477 in costs in connection with the case.

The incident last summer caused the death of an estimated 2,000 fish.

Deceased species included a large number of eel, along with salmon, trout, rudd and flounder, of all ages.

IFI’s in-depth investigations led to the instigation of legal proceedings against Uisce Éireann, with court procedures concluding on 16 February.

Uisce Éireann accepted liability for discharge of deleterious matter from the Ennistymon Water Treatment Plant on two separate dates in May 2023.

Commenting on the verdict, David McInerney, director of IFI’s Shannon River Basin District said: “The impact of the discharges from Uisce Éireann’s water treatment plant resulted in a very significant fish kill over 2.6km of the river.

“It created a devastating impact on an ecosystem that supports vulnerable salmon and eel stocks. The court was told the incident was an ‘ecological tragedy’.

“It is critical that Uisce Éireann ensures that adequate systems and processes are in place to prevent any such event recurring. We welcome the improvements made to date, and future improvements to be made at this plant.”

IFI reminds the public they can report instances of fish kills, pollution, fish in distress, habitat destruction or illegal fishing by calling its confidential 24/7 number at 0818 34 74 24.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) investigated a serious fish kill incident that occurred on 3 September 2021 at the Glore River in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

IFI’s investigation led to the instigation of legal proceedings against Uisce Éireann and court procedures concluded on Thursday 4 January.

Uisce Éireann, formerly Irish Water, has accepted liability for the fish kill, resulting from a chemical spill at the Kiltimagh Water Treatment Plant.

A senior fisheries environmental Officer has inspected the treatment plant on several occasions since the fish kill.

Following an onsite meeting on 8 October 2022, a number of recommendations were made to Uisce Éireann to reduce the risk of future spills at the Kiltimagh Water Treatment Plant.

Uisce Éireann were fully supportive and these measures have now been implemented.

IFI, the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, says it will continue to inspect the plant to ensure that all recommendations have been followed.

Further to these preventative measures, Uisce Éireann has paid costs and a financial contribution of €15,000 to go towards research for habitat enhancement.

This will be used to identify the potential for a habitat restoration project in the upper Glore River and some of its tributaries.

This project will include a detailed survey of the Glore and possibly some adjacent sub-catchments, which will provide an analysis of current river and riparian habitat quality.

Where deficiencies are identified, appropriate amelioration works will be proposed to aid in the recovery of salmon stocks in the Glore River area.

A “major fish kill” in a Co Derry river has tallied than 2,000 fish across a range of species, as BBC News reports.

The incident was discovered last Friday morning (24 November) on the Muff River in Eglinton, near the City of Derry Airport.

A report on Belfast Live suggests that sea trout returning to the river to lay eggs are among those killed by a pollutant in the watercourse.

An investigation is now under way by the Loughs Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), who say the have establised a “specific line of enquiry”.

Local anglers have said it could take years for stocks to recover after a major fish kill in a Northern Ireland river.

According to BBC News, it’s believed hundreds of juvenile salmon were lost as a result of a slurry spill affecting a mile-long stretch of the Corkley River near Keady in Co Armagh, which was reported on Saturday (21 October).

The river, a tributary of the Callan which feeds into the Blackwater and ultimately Lough Neagh, is known to be a spawning and nursery ground for salmon and trout as well as Lough Neagh trout or dollaghan.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.