Senior management from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) met with angler representatives in Co Cork on Friday (22 August) regarding the significant fish kill on the River Blackwater.
Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley and senior advisors joined IFI’s acting chief executive Suzanne Campion, the EPA and local IFI staff at the meeting in Mallow.
The event was organised with angling and local stakeholders to provide an update on investigations relating to the recent fish mortalities, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
Preliminary results from the Marine Institute on fish sample analysis, and EPA on water quality analysis, were shared.
A key finding from the Marine Institute was that no evidence of bacterial infection or systemic disease was noted in test samples.
Virology results will be available towards the end of August.
Testing to date also indicate the lesions observed are likely to be associated with an environmental irritant.
Results to date from the EPA do not raise concern, and more water quality results will be available in due course.
IFI says it will continue to coordinate with relevant authorities including the Marine Institute, EPA, Cork County Council and Uisce Éireann to investigate the incident.
Suzanne Campion thanked local anglers and the public for the information they provided to assist local IFI staff in the agency’s investigations to date.
“IFI was pleased to meet with anglers in the area to discuss this issue, and I am delighted that Minister Dooley was able to attend,” she said.
“IFI welcomes today’s constructive engagement and collaboration with angler groups.
“We share their deep concerns over the very large number of fish mortalities on the Blackwater.
“At today’s meeting we assured representatives of IFI’s commitment to progressing our investigations, and our work with other statutory agencies on the matter.”
