The Central Fisheries Board has appealed to farmers to be extra vigilant and avoid water pollution now the silage-making season has arrived.
The CFB said that previously incidents and fish kills had occurred at this time due to agricultural activities. "Most of these could have been prevented by better management and awareness at farm level." It urged the farming community to use proper practices and look out for potential threats to prevent water pollution.
The CFB welcomed the Irish Farmers' Association's 10-point code on silage effluent control and said discharges and seepages from silage effluents could be the most serious causes of pollution and consequent fish kills.
Meanwhile, the Southern Regional Fisheries Board yesterday continued its inquiry into a major fish kill on the Suir river and its tributary, the Clonmore, after contamination devastated trout and salmon stocks on both near Thurles, Co Tipperary.
The SRFB estimates that 1,500 trout, salmon and eel perished when oxygen levels were depleted. But local fishermen claimed the damage may have been even greater.
Mr Jim Hassey of the Templemore and District Anglers' Association said 100,000 trout fingerlets and 10,000 salmon smolts, released into the river last March, were destroyed on Tuesday night.
Fishery officers have visited seven farms and a sewage treatment plant along the banks of the Suir to identify the source of pollution. But Mr Micheal O Cinneidi, of the SRFB, said it was too early to identify the polluter.
Ms Iva Pocock of the environmental lobby group, Voice, said: "This incident is proof of the unfortunate reality that Irish rivers are not safe from sewage and slurry pollution."
Five years ago the same section of the Suir between Loughmore and Clonmore, an important spawning ground, was also the scene of a major fish kill. Mr O Cinneidi said the latest kill was particularly tragic as it was so early in the season and more kills could be expected during the summer months.
The Green Party TD, Mr John Gormley, accused the Government of failing to implement measures to deal with problems of water pollution in rivers and lakes.