A Cork landowner has been convicted and fined for removing gravel and disturbing spawning beds in the River Blackwater in Co Cork during the drought last summer.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) secured the conviction under the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 against Mr Bryan O’Neill of Curraghrower East, Banteer, Co Cork, whose land is at Gortmore, west of Mallow in Co Cork.

Excavation

The court this week heard evidence from IFI senior fisheries environmental officer Andrew Gillespie that on or around 1 July 2018, large amounts of spawning gravels had been excavated from the river and deposited at a disused quarry adjacent to the river.

Evidence was heard concerning tracks leading from the river across Mr O’Neill’s land to the quarry.

The scale of the extraction led Gillespie to believe the gravel was being removed for commercial reasons.

Summons

The court also heard of IFI’s difficulties serving the court summons to Mr O’Neill and that ultimately the assistance of local gardaí was required to do so.

Mr O’Neill denied the charges and claimed that it was his brother who farmed the land and that he himself had been unaware of the gravel extraction until contacted by Cork County Council in September that year.

Convicting Mr O’Neill, Judge King advised the defendant that his evidence was “not credible”, imposed a fine of €500 and awarded costs of €3,388 to IFI.

Warning

Commenting after the case, director of the IFI southwestern river basin district Sean Long said landowners “cannot plead ignorance to avoid responsibility for illegal, damaging works carried out on their lands”.

“The removal of so many tonnes of valuable spawning gravels for minor commercial reward demonstrates a callous disregard for the critically endangered indigenous salmonid and lamprey populations, as well as for the wider community that promotes and benefits from responsible angling practices the length of the Munster Blackwater,” he added.

He urged landowners to contact their advisors or IFI before carrying out any works that may inadvertently damage watercourses on or adjacent to their land.

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