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.

A ‘substantial’ fish kill affecting trout and young salmon has been discovered in a tributary of the River Finn in Co Donegal.

Donegal Daily reported on Wednesday (13 September) on the incident in what’s described as a “nursery stream” at Crossroads in Killygordon, east Donegal.

It says it understands that hundreds of trout and young salmon have been lost.

In a statement, the Loughs Agency said it was alerted on Tuesday evening (12 September) “to the potential presence of a pollutant into a tributary of the River Finn, allegedly stemming from a commercial premises”.

It continued; “Loughs Agency fishery officers immediately initiated an investigation, where they discovered a discharge of deleterious matter had entered the watercourse.

“Substantial fish mortalities were discovered in the river on Tuesday evening, as well as during searches on the morning of Wednesday 13 September. Samples were collected from the discharge for analysis.

“Loughs Agency has committed significant resources into the clean-up operation, with fishery officers actively working to help ensure additional fish mortalities are mitigated as best as possible. We will have resources at the site of the incident until the investigation is complete.”

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating a serious incident near Kinsale in Co Cork in which at least 2,000 fish have died.

The fish kill occurred on the Brownsmills stream in Co Cork and spread over a 4-5km stretch, flowing into the estuary at Kinsale.

Species of fish discovered dead include brown trout and eel. IFI says it first became aware of the issue on Wednesday (12 July) when a member of the public informed staff of seeing dead fish in the stream.

IFI have taken fish and water samples for analysis; Cork County Council Environmental Department are assisting with the investigation.

The State agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland’s freshwater fish and habitats says it is not in a position to confirm the specific cause of the fish kill at this early stage, but investigations are continuing.

A fish kill on the Ballinderry River in Co Tyrone has mostly likely wiped out this season’s young fish, according to BBC News.

Dead fish in the river near Cookstown were reported on Tuesday (30 May), with the Western Shore Angling group saying they’d received “numerous other reports”.

It’s understood that officials from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) have been on site to investigate the source of the fish kill.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is investigating a confirmed fish kill near Crumlin in Co Antrim, as BBC News reports.

It follows reports of an alleged slurry spill in the Crumlin River upstream of the town close to Lough Neagh on Sunday morning (12 February).

Local angling representatives attended the scene and say they counted 25 dead fish in a 50-metre stretch of the river, which is best known for wild brown trout but also has salmon fry.

“So potentially there could be hundreds killed,” said David Kennedy of the Crumlin and District Angling Association, who added that a year of spawning may have been lost in the incident.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is investigating a major fish kill incident that’s claimed over 2,000 juvenile brown trout and Atlantic salmon in a Co Donegal river.

Environmental and fisheries officers from the North-Western River Basin District were alerted to the incident in the Glenagannon River at Inishowen by a member of the public via IFI’s 24-hour confidential hotline number on Friday (26 August). 

Following patrols conducted along the river on Friday and Saturday (27 August), the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats has confirmed that over 2,250 juvenile brown trout and Atlantic salmon were killed in the incident.

The fish kill covered some four kilometres of the river and comprised several year classes of fish, IFI said, adding that is following a definite line of inquiry to determine the cause which may result in legal proceedings.
 
Milton Matthews, director of the North-Western River Basin District acknowledged the ongoing support of the public in reporting suspected cases of water pollution and fish kills.

“We would like to thank the member of the public who alerted us promptly to this serious incident through our 24-hour confidential hotline last Friday,” he said.

“This enabled our environmental team in Letterkenny to instigate our investigations without delay. This can be critical in identifying and confirming the underlying cause of fish kill incidents such as this one on the Glenagannon River.”

To report fish kills or water pollution, members of the public are encouraged to call IFI’s 24/7 hotline on 0818 34 74 24.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is investigating a “significant” fish kill incident on the Crover River in Co Cavan, which is a tributary of Lough Sheelin.

Officers from the Shannon River Basin District became aware of the incident late on Friday evening (12 August).

And IFI estimates that there could be in excess of 1,000 juvenile trout killed in the incident, covering a 1.5 km stretch of water.

Other aquatic species were also found dead, such as crayfish, lamprey, stone loach and invertebrates.

IFI says is not in a position to confirm the cause of the fish kill while investigations are ongoing.

Previously the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats warned of a high risk of fish kills due to thermal stress and reduced oxygen levels in lakes and rivers amid the recent heatwave.

With Met Éireann forecasting a heat wave for large parts of the country into this weekend, combined with lower-than-average rainfall, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is warning that there is a high risk of fish kills due to thermal stress and reduced oxygen levels in lakes and rivers.

Also known as deoxygenation, reduced oxygen levels in a river or lake make it very difficult for fish to breathe and survive.

The State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats is concerned that water levels in many rivers are low and approaching drought conditions.

Therefore, it is appealing to anglers, the farming community and the general public to report any sightings of fish under thermal stress, which may be caused by the extreme heat combined with low water levels and other pressures.

Anglers are also being asked to voluntarily stop using ‘keep nets’ while high temperature warnings from Met Éireann are in place, as these nets may cause unintentional distress to fish.

In addition, anglers that practice ‘catch and release’ fishing are asked not to fish during the heat wave where possible, as this may put undue pressure on fish populations.

Dr Gregory Forde, head of operations at IFI explains: “Unfortunately low water levels and high water temperatures can lead to fish kills, especially as there is less oxygen in the water to allow fish to breathe.

‘During the current heat wave, air and water temperatures are approaching dangerous levels and fish kills may be unavoidable’

“Once the water temperature exceeds 20C, fish species such as salmon and trout suffer ‘thermal stress’. During the current heat wave, air and water temperatures are approaching dangerous levels and fish kills may be unavoidable. In some instances, moving fish in and out of the water may also prove too stressful. 

“That’s why we’re asking anglers practicing catch and release fishing to consider taking a break from fishing while high temperature warnings are in place. We’re also asking anglers to voluntarily stop using ‘keep nets’ until conditions become more favourable.”

Last month, IFI and the Office of Public Works’ data buoy recorded a surface water temperature of 21.84C at Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan, coinciding with July’s hottest air temperature of 30.75C. 

IFI notes that significant thermal stress can occur in brown trout and other cold water fish species at temperatures at or above 20C.

Forde said: “Inland Fisheries Ireland staff are continuously monitoring water bodies, such as rivers and lakes, for any signs of fish suffering thermal stress in shallow water or drying out rivers and streams.

“We’re encouraging the public to report any sightings of fish suffering thermal stress to our 24-hour confidential hotline on 0818 34 74 24 so we can respond as quickly as possible to help rescue or relocate these fish.

“It is also a good time to remind all those using pesticides that these should be used only as a last resort, always in accordance with product instructions and always respecting statutory ‘no use’ zones, being mindful at all times of proximity to water bodies such as ditches, streams, ponds, rivers, lakes and springs. Even a very small amount of pesticide can be highly toxic to the aquatic environment.”

‘Many of our fish species will find survival difficult in these warm conditions without the added pressure of angling stress’

Elsewhere, the Loughs Agency is advising anglers across both the Foyle and Carlingford catchments to help preserve salmon and trout stocks in local rivers following prolonged periods of hot weather.

These extreme weather conditions have led to low river flows, high water temperatures and low oxygen levels in many bodies of water.

The guidance comes after only 43% of the average rainfall fell in Northern Ireland last month, although some rivers in the Foyle catchment also experienced severe flooding. Each one of these significant weather events put stress on fish.

The agency’s head of science Dr Sarah McLean is hopeful that anglers will proceed with caution on the rivers, particularly when fishing in the current warm temperatures.

“Many of our fish species will find survival difficult in these warm conditions without the added pressure of angling stress,” she said.

“Even catch and release poses a risk in these conditions as low dissolved oxygen in the water can result in poor fish recovery rates and inadvertent mortalities.

“It is also worth remembering that high water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels may also leave fish more susceptible to parasites and disease, so any fish caught will also require additional care when handling.”

There are several measures anglers in Foyle and Carlingford can take to help protect fish during the hot weather:

• Consider taking the water temperature before you fish and avoid fishing at times when water temperatures are high. Water temperature will be coolest in the early morning.
• Where possible, keep fish in the water during catch and release.
• Seek advice from fishery or angling clubs where appropriate.
• Avoid targeting larger fish or sensitive species.
• Keep nets should not be used by coarse anglers during warm weather.
• Limit handling time.
• Where possible and safe, release fish into deeper, faster flowing water. 

Anglers should report distressed or dead fish in the Foyle or Carlingford catchments directly and promptly to the Loughs Agency at +44 (0)28 71 342100 or [email protected].

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is investigating a "significant" fish kill on the River Erkina near Rathdowney in Co Laois earlier this month. 
 
Environmental and fisheries officers from the South-Eastern River Basin District were alerted to the incident by a member of the public on Wednesday 20 July.
 
The State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats estimates that there could be in excess of 2,000 trout killed in the incident, in addition to other species such as salmon parr, lamprey and crayfish.

IFI notes that fish species in the Erkina are very vulnerable currently due to higher water temperatures and lower water levels at this time of year. If there is less oxygen in the water, fish find it extremely difficult to survive as a result.

Local anglers have expressed their dismay, with Rory Maher of Rathdowney Angling Club telling the Leinster Express that the incident has ended their 2022 season and may already rule out fishing in 2023.

“It is not just fishing impacted, it’s all the wildlife on the river, like ducks, herons, egrets, kingfishers — the whole ecosystem has been affected,” the club’s secretary Maher said.

Investigations into this fish kill incident are ongoing and IFI says is not in a position to comment on the cause at this stage.