With test results due this week to establish the cause of a major fish kill on the River Blackwater, it is hoped that an answer will be found as to what caused the death of so many fish along a huge stretch of the river, from Roskeen to Ballyhooly.
It was initially thought that a bacterial infection might have caused the ecological disaster, but Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and the Marine Institute have since suggested the possibility that a toxic chemical spill may have caused the fish kill.
Local fishing clubs brought in an independent senior scientist, who has concluded that the most likely cause is ‘run-off’ from an industrial chemical or agricultural spill.
Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley and senior advisors, along with IFI Acting Chief Executive Suzanne Campion, the EPA and local IFI staff visited Mallow last Friday morning to see for themselves the effects on the River Blackwater, where they were joined by public representatives and local anglers. Afterwards, a meeting was held in Mallow GAA Complex, where the Minister faced many questions about the fish kill and its consequences for the river and its wildlife.
Labour TD Eoghan Kenny this week criticised the Inland Fisheries Ireland response to the fish kill, and called on them to appear before the Oireachtas committee in relation to the matter.
“To the people of Munster, this is an enormous biodiversity loss. People should not be left without answers to their questions, and I believe it is paramount that state agencies are held to account for their response on initial reporting of the fish kill,” Mr Kenny’s statement said.
A local man, Declan O’Connell, who is a regular kayaker on the river and also trains the local Special Olympics kayak group, said this week on Facebook that “Fish kills don’t just happen, there is always a cause, and it’s this attitude from people in power and the departments they lead that have made the condition of Irish rivers a national disgrace.”
Meanwhile, locals who regularly walk along the river bank in Mallow have noticed that the herons, kingfishers and cormorants, who were regulars on the local stretch of water, seem to have left Mallow in search of other sources of food. Also, motorists using the Annabella roundabout have noticed a giant poster which has been placed on the overpass, depicting a fish in the river, plus the caption “We Need Answers”. Hopefully this week’s results will give everyone the answers that they are seeking.