A local authority sewage treatment plant has been found to be responsible for a major fish kill in a Co Meath river on Wednesday evening.
Up to 3,000 wild brown trout were killed when sludge from the Oldcastle sewage treatment plant was discharged into the River Inny over three miles.
The pollution was exacerbated by record low water levels in the river, which prevented the dilution of the waste, making it more toxic than at other times of the year.
A Meath County Council spokeswoman said the pollution was caused by a mechanical malfunction at the treatment plant.
"The council is working closely with the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board and has taken advice from officials to prevent any further impact on the river," she said. "Meath County Council regrets the damage to the environment and will continue to investigate the cause of the malfunction. We will work with the fisheries board to restock the river and will not be found wanting in meeting our obligations and responsibilities in relation to this incident."
Fishery officers from the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, the body responsible for the development and protection of fisheries in the area, responded to a call on Wednesday night from anglers who were fishing on the river and noticed the dying trout. Staff worked throughout yesterday to move live fish from the lower parts of the river to safer places on the system.
The Inny flows into Lough Sheelin and is popular with angling tourists. The fisheries board has been working for a number of years to rehabilitate the lake, which has had pollution problems.
Matt Nolan, a fisheries inspector with the fisheries board, said Wednesday night's pollution would set back its work by three years.
"Water levels everywhere are extremely low, they haven't been this low in living memory and the fish are under a lot of stress at the moment anyway," he said.
"We are calling on everyone, particularly farmers spreading fertiliser, to be vigilant because it takes very little at present to cause damage. This type of fish kill does a lot of damage to Ireland's image. The fallout of this, including its effect on local tourism, could run into millions."
