Fisherman and wildlife photographer Plunkett Scullion was alarmed to discover hundreds of dead fish in his local river, indicating a serious environmental issue.
Contamination from slurry spills created a “dead zone” in the water, endangering aquatic life.
This incident is part of a larger crisis, with 65 separate pollution events recorded in rivers and waterways, resulting in the death of over 50,000 fish in the last five years.
Such pollution has deterred local communities from enjoying their natural resources.
Mr. Scullion expressed his frustration, stating, “It’s not just in our local river; it’s happening throughout the country. Hearing that 50,000 fish were killed is absolutely disgraceful.”
In Northern Ireland, over 50,000 fish have perished due to water pollution incidents, particularly in the counties of Armagh, Tyrone, and Fermanagh.
Shockingly, in nearly half of these cases, authorities failed to take further action.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), no enforcement measures were implemented when the source of pollution was untraceable.
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Source: www.bbc.co.uk