A major fish kill is being reported following an incident of pollution in the Lough Sheelin area of Co Cavan.
Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association are extremely disappointed and concerned following the fish kill yesterday which occurred in the Captains Bay area of Lough Sheelin.
Indications are that at least 100 adult wild brown trout have died as a result of this incident.
The dead trout include a range of trout sizes up to 10lbs or 4.5kg. The Mountnugent River is a critically important spawning tributary for Lough Sheelin.
The Lough Sheelin Trout Protection Association say the initial estimation of the fish killed is probably an underestimation given the nature of the area and previous experiences of fish kills on the catchment.
The LSTPA recognise that the recent warm weather poses a risk in relation to any increase in nutrient loading to the lake. The LSTPA are asking that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure that waste disposal which could end up in rivers and lakes is avoided. This includes ensuring that all current regulations are monitored and policed.
The LSTPA call on those responsible for ensuring safe and clean water in the Sheelin Catchment to take whatever measures are necessary including inspections and audits of all discharges to the Lake to ensure that incidents like this one are prevented from recurring.
Éamonn Ross from the group is calling on members of the public to immediately report any incident of pollution or fish kill to Inland Fisheries Ireland, the relevant local authority and the Environmental Protection Agency.
