Further pollution has hit the River Blackwater in Co Cork, angering anglers who are furious that the cause of a fish kill at the beginning of the month, which killed up to 50,000 fish, still hasn’t been identified.
The latest leak into the river was spotted just downstream of Fermoy Bridge on Thursday evening. It was filmed by locals who said the stench was horrendous.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) officials have visited the scene to carry out tests. Anglers reported a small number of dead fish downstream, but it is unclear as yet if this spill was responsible for their deaths.
Killavullen Angling Club secretary John Flynn, whose club waters were decimated by the first fish kill, said his club and others in the area were twice promised by the minister for state for fisheries and marine, Timmy Dooley, at meetings they had with him that the results of tests would be released by Thursday.
“We are still waiting and we have received no explanation from IFI as to why this hasn’t happened,” Mr Flynn said.
“It seems that the State agencies are not treating this ecological disaster, which is the biggest fish kill in the history of the State, with the upmost urgency it deserves, despite assurances from the minister that all resources would be made available to get to the bottom of what caused the fish kill and where it emanated from,” he said.
Last week, IFI indicated that the cause of the massive fish kill was “an irritant in the river”.
Mr Flynn said that statement baffled him, other anglers, environmentalists, and the public in general, especially as independent tests carried out by an experienced scientist indicate unequivocally that the cause of the fish kill was the result of a chemical or toxin discharge into the river.
The Irish Examiner published the results of this analysis, which showed that some of the fish died an agonising death from rotting flesh and eyes bursting out of their sockets.
Mr Flynn said there “is a real fear” that more dead fish will be found following the latest incident in Fermoy.
An IFI spokesperson said: “IFI is aware of an issue in Fermoy, and the matter is being investigated by IFI officers and Cork County Council who attended the scene this morning in Fermoy.
“Cork County Council staff have taken water samples from the discharge point and are further investigating to try identify the source of this discharge.”
They added: “At this juncture, it’s not thought to be connected to the ongoing multi-agency investigation into fish mortalities on the River Blackwater.”