Farming was blamed for eight fish kills in 2016, with prosecutions continuing in three of those cases, figures from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) reveal.

Fish kills in counties Meath, Kilkenny, Kerry, Sligo and Galway, as well as three in Co Cork, were recorded as being caused by agricultural practice last year.

Three of the farming-related fish kills, in counties Meath, Kilkenny and Cork involved 25 fish or less.

However, one incident in Co Cork resulted in more than 3,000 fish being killed, including Atlantic salmon, brown trout and eel.

There was a major fish kill on the Owentaraglin River, a tributary of the River Blackwater River in North West Cork in December 2016. Fisheries officers discovered more than 3,000 fish mortalities over a 2km stretch of the river near the village of Kiskeam.

RAW SLURRY

The cause of the fish kill is believed to be a large discharge of raw slurry into the river and the investigation is continuing.

Among the dead fish were significant numbers of gravid (egg-carrying) hen salmon and there was also significant damage to the spawning beds and wider aquatic habitat, which will have implications for the fish population in the area into the future.

A spokesperson for Inland Fisheries Ireland said fish kills were recorded as being caused by agricultural practice “where it is clear that the mortality resulted from agricultural activity.”

IFI reported 31 fish kills in all last year, with industrial operations responsible for one kill and municipal works responsible for two kills. Other causes such as disease and natural causes were behind 17 fish kills.

Since 2010 some 41 fish kills have been caused by agricultural practice, ranging from no incidents in 2012 to 12 incidents in 2013.

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