Anglers have criticised Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for what they say was its slow response to the major fish kill incident on the Munster Blackwater.
As The Journal reports, the State watchdog for Ireland’s river fisheries took its first samples from the Blackwater near Mallow in North Cork on Tuesday 12 August.
But local anglers say this was a full 24 hours after they first reported the incident, which has killed thousands of fish over a 30km stretch of the river. Its cause has yet to be confirmed.
“It should have been done immediately. It was a major emergency, it’s the biggest fish kill in the State from what we know,” said Dan Dennehy, club secretary of Kanturk and District Trout Anglers.
IFI last week said it had as previously reported on Afloat.ie, and in a statement this week said it is working with various agencies to investigate the fish kill, including Cork County Council, the EPA, the Marine Institute and Uisce Éireann.
But as previously reported on Afloat.ie, Ireland’s lack of a single river authority can often result in “shrugged shoulders, inadequate explanation or ‘hands-up’ admissions with no meaningful actions”.
