Donegal County Council said it is awaiting the outcome of test results from an Inishowen river where hundreds of fish were killed during the week.
Since Wednesday evening, over 250 young Atlantic salmon, trout and eel have been found dead following a pollution incident along a 1 km stretch of a tributary of the Skeoge River in Bridgend.
A council spokesperson said its Water & Environmental staff were first alerted to reports of a fish kill adjacent to the Stoneybridge estate by a local councillor.
“A senior Central Laboratory staff member carried out an inspection at the scene that (Wednesday) evening and samples of effluent discharging to a tributary of the main river were taken for analysis, with the results awaited,” the spokesperson said.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) were immediately contacted and kept informed of the incident before they conducted their own investigations subsequently.
“Follow-up investigations will be carried out when the sample test results are obtained and this may lead to enforcement action being taken under the relevant legislation,” they added.
“Donegal County Council would like to thank the public for their vigilance in detecting the incident and prompt reporting of it.”
A separate IFI investigation is also underway.
IFI – the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats – continues to urge the public to report instances of fish kills, water pollution, habitat destruction, or illegal fishing to their confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24.
