Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 4

Written Answers. - Fish Kills.

Michael Finucane

Question:

72 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will give details of the major fish kills in inland waterways from January 1997 to September 1997; the estimated extent of those fish kills; and the investigations, if any, which are taking place following each of these fish kills. [16235/97]

Date	Location	Number killed	Cause
17 May	River Glasheenakilaw, County Cork	1,000	Silage
21 May	River Owenavarragh, County Wexford	1,000	Cattle slurry
24 May	River Moneen, County Kildare	2,000	Agri-chemical
30 May	River Grange, County Kilkenny	2,000	Farm effluent?
9 June	River Agrideen, County Cork	10,000	Unknown
18 July	River Martin, County Cork	100,000	Piggery effluent
28 July	Barora, Moynalty and Blackwater Rivers, County Cavan	100,000	Leak of water for fire-fighting
14 August	River Mulcair, County Tipperary	20,000	Unknown
27 August	Cullaunyheeda Lake, County Clare	20,000	Enrichment

I have been advised that Regional Boards are considering prosecutions in several cases; in some other instances it has not been possible to establish the precise source of the pollution. I have also welcomed the positive response of Teagasc and the farming community to the issue of water quality, as illustrated in the recent announcement by Teagasc and the Irish Farmers' Association of a nutrient management code. Prevention must be our primary objective, and any measure which contributes to prevention is to be commended.

In addition, in relation to the major fish kill on the Mulcair, I have already advised the House that I have requested the Central Fisheries Board and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board to commission a scientific investigation into the incident. The study, involving the University of Limerick, will provide a comprehensive assessment of the causes and effects of the fish kill and will inform fisheries pollution prevention strategies for the Mulcair catchment and elsewhere. The fisheries boards are currently completing consultations with the Environmental Protection Agency, Teagasc, the local authority and the farming organisations as well as angling groups in order to ensure the fullest co-operation and involvement with the investigative work by all the relevant agencies and interests on the ground.

The Department and the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards are also working to deliver on the action plan which I announced in August to ensure that the resources of the fisheries service and all relevant agencies are efficiently and effectively deployed and mobilised to prevent fisheries pollution, deal with the causes of pollution and provide incident response.

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

From information supplied to me by the Central Fisheries Board and the Marine Institute, I set out as follows, details of the nine major fish kills involving estimated losses of over 1,000 fish, which have been reported to date in 1997: