A Derry farmer has been fined £5,025.34 (€5,947.21) for a water pollution offence which resulted in a fish kill.

Philip Palmer, 53, of Tobermore Road, Desertmartin, was convicted on Wednesday at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Derry Courthouse.

Mr Palmer pleaded guilty and was fined a total of £5,025.34, made up of a £1,500 (£1,775.20) fine and costs of £3,525.34 (€4,172.16) to replace the fish killed as a result of this incident.

The court heard that on 21 May 2020 a water quality inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), carried out an inspection at Grange Water Bridge, Desertmartin, and discovered green/brown discoloured water, dead and distressed fish in the waterway, and a strong smell of slurry.

The inspector travelled upstream to the Keenaght Water on the Longfield Road, Desertmartin, and identified the presence of slurry within the waterway which runs through Mr Palmer’s farm to the Keenaught Water. The inspector observed an active discharge of slurry into the waterway.

Mr Palmer deployed a soil dam and a submersible pump to prevent any further discharge to Grange Water. The inspector returned to the farm on 22 May 2020 and checked the dammed section of the waterway at its confluence with the Keenaught Water, there was no evidence of the any effluent having circumvented the soil bund. A clean-up company was appointed which carried out a clean-up operation.

Sample

In accordance with procedures, a tripartite statutory sample of the active discharge was collected and analysed and found to contain poisonous, noxious, and polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Effluents with high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) remove oxygen from river water and reduce the overall dissolved oxygen level, according to the NI Department of Agriculture (DAERA).

DAERA Inland Fisheries investigated the incident as a major fish kill, which resulted in the death of 2,632 fish, made up of 2,525 trout and 107 salmon.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident in Northern Ireland can call the 24-hour water pollution hotline on 0800 80 70 60.