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Farmers have been urged to be vigilant about the pollution risks posed to rivers by slurry discharges following the conviction yesterday of a large dairy producer for polluting a river near his farm in East Cork.
Sean Long, Director of the South Westerdan River Basin District at Inland Fisheries Ireland, said cattle manure and other organic fertilizers, effluents and sewage have the potential to cause devastating effects on fisheries.
“Good pen management and the use of preventative measures help stop accidental releases of pollutants and protect the local environment, which will have a significant and lasting positive impact on valuable wild fish populations and the general well-being of an area, ”he said.
“I urge the farming community to remain vigilant about the risk of contamination from yards and slurry tanks,” Long said, adding that the general public can contact Inland Fisheries Ireland in confidence to report any incidents of water contamination. .
Long spoke after East Cork farmer Brian Duncan was fined 8,000 euros by Judge Patricia Harney in Midleton District Court on the indictment brought by Inland Fisheries Ireland for a sludge spill in the Douglas River at Garryduff, Dungourney in April 2018.
Judge Harney was told that an initial discharge of manure from Duncan’s pen was followed by further re-offenses, resulting in a series of postponements and hearings to allow the completion of the court-led repair work.
A witness from Inland Fisheries Ireland told the court that the Douglas River, a tributary of the Owenacurra River that flows through Midleton, had been severely polluted by slurry discharges that had rendered riparian habitat inaccessible for trout spawning and salmon.
Evidence was also provided that Duncan, who runs a large farm with a dairy herd of more than 1,000 on his farm in Dungourney, had invested significantly in repair work to improve his yard facilities since the initial incident in April 2018.
Judge Harney convicted Duncan under Section 171 (1) of the Fisheries Consolidation Act of 1959 and Section 3 (1) of the Local Government Water Pollution Act of 1977, awarding total costs and expenses € 8,139 to Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Subsequently, Mr. Long said that anyone wishing to report incidents of water pollution, fish kills or illegal fishing can contact Inland Fisheries Ireland in confidence at 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.
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