Uisce Éireann convicted and fined over major fish kill following 'harmful' discharge

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has welcomed the successful prosecution and conviction of Uisce Éireann following a harmful discharge that resulted in a large fish kill earlier this year.

At Mallow District Court this Monday, Judge Colm Roberts imposed a fine of €3,500 for a breach of Section 171(1) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959. Uisce Eireann was also ordered to pay €3,267 in costs.

The case was brought by IFI following a discharge into the River Allow in County Cork, from the Freemount water treatment plant, on June 9, 2024.

Commenting following the conclusion of the court proceedings, Sean Long, director of IFI’s south-western region, said: “This was an entirely avoidable ecological disaster for a sensitive river habitat. In this catastrophic incident, an eight-kilometre stretch of river was effectively sterilised, and may take years to recover.”

According to IFI, Species of fish that were discovered dead included juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout, lamprey, eel, stone loach, roach, and dace.

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The pollution event occurred on a tributary of the Munster Blackwater catchment at Freemount, north county Cork. The location is a Special Area of Conservation and is a noted spawning habitat for fish.

IFI - the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats - continues to urge the members of the public to report instances of fish kills, water pollution, habitat destruction, or illegal fishing to its confidential number - 0818 347424.