INLAND FISHERIES IRELAND (IFI) has welcomed the outcome of its prosecution of Uisce Éireann for chemical discharges to the Ballymacraven river, Ennistymon, Co Clare.

Uisce Éireann last month pleaded guilty to two water pollution charges in connection with a ‘fish kill’ that occurred downstream of one of its water treatment plants in May 2023.

The incident, which was investigated by the IFI, caused the death of an estimated 2,000 fish over 2.6km of the river.

Uisce Éireann was fined €10,000, and must pay €8,477 in costs in connection with the case.

Commenting on the verdict, David McInerney, Director of IFI’s Shannon River Basin District, said the incident had a “devastating impact on an ecosystem that supports vulnerable salmon and eel stocks”. 

“It is critical that Uisce Éireann ensures that adequate systems and processes are in place to prevent any such event recurring,” he said.

“We welcome the improvements made to date, and future improvements to be made at this plant.”

The dates of the offences are 2 and 18 May 2023. The fish kill occurred downstream of Irish Water’s Ballymacraven water treatment plant.

The plant serves a population of almost 7,000 people in the wider north Clare area including Ennistymon, Lahinch, Kilfenora, Doolin, Fanore and Ballyvaughan.

Species of fish discovered dead include a large number of eel, along with salmon, trout, rudd and flounder of all ages.

Sligo County Council fined

Separately, Sligo County Council has been fined over damage caused to a tributary of a river linked to a Special Area of Conservation.

The incident happened at Carraun, Corballa, Co Sligo on a stream that flows into the Killala Bay/Moy Estuary conservation area.

The Council was fined €250 and must pay costs of €1,845, as well as €500 to IFI in respect of the expense of assessing restorative works. 

Mary Walsh, Director of IFI’s Western River Basin District, Ballina, said: “This work was overseen by the Council, a large public body, and the habitat damage caused by machinery traversing the stream should never have taken place. 

“IFI will continue to prosecute such illegal activity in fulfilment of our remit to protect and conserve Ireland’s important inland fisheries resource.”

Prior to the commencement of proposed council works, consultation took place between an IFI Senior Environmental Officer and a representative from Sligo County Council, the state agency claimed, during which IFI clearly outlined the sensitivity of the watercourse on the site, and of the pollution mitigation measures required. 

The IFI said that, despite this, damage was done to the river bed and the banks of a tributary stream of the Newtown River in April 2023.

The case was heard at Sligo District Court earlier this month.

With reporting by Gordon Deegan