Glenn McKibbin said about 1,000 fish were killed after a pollution incident caused a fish die-off in the Gransha, Ballystockart and Inler Rivers in County Down. The Inler Angling Club secretary said the incident could not have happened in a worse location on the river or at a worse time.
The Department said a member of the public reported the incident on Tuesday at 09:30 GMT, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Daera Inland Fisheries are now working to identify the source of the pollution and finalise the number of fish killed.
Gransha and Ballystockart
The pollution killed brown trout and migratory sea trout across the river system. McKibbin said the impact went beyond fish, with resident kingfishers, herons and otters facing knock-on effects that were unavoidable.
He said the incident had left current and future fish stocks obliterated for years to come. The club also said resident and non-resident migratory fish, which return at this time of year to spawn, have been hit.
Inler Angling Club
David Pyper said the loss of fish in these circumstances was particularly disappointing for people who care for the river. In a statement from the club, he said the forthcoming investigations should establish the cause of the latest incident and help ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect the river and its wildlife.
McKibbin said the river was still recovering from major pollution incidents and fish kills in 2013 and 2015, a history that sharpens the stakes of the current investigation. For the club, the immediate question is not the size of the kill — it is what polluted the water and whether the river can be protected from a repeat.
