More than 500 fish are believed to have died near Kells, Co Meath, in what Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) described as a “significant fish kill”.
According to the agency, which is responsible for the conservation and protection of inland fisheries, the incident occurred at a tributary of the Moynalty river north of Kells.
Fish mortalities were observed over a 9km stretch of the river, said the IFI. The organisation said a “definite line of inquiry” into the cause of the incident is being followed.
IFI staff attended the site of the fish kill on Monday, August 10th, and water samples and fish samples were taken from the river for analysis.
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Members of the public are advised, as a precautionary measure, not to consume any dead fish found at waterways in the area.
The IFI is working with other Government agencies in line with the new national interagency protocol for investigating significant fish kills and is the lead agency on this case.
An interagency group met on Tuesday to discuss the fish kill and included representatives from the IFI, Meath County Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, Uisce Éireann, the Health Service Executive, and the River Basin Management Service.
This incident is the latest in a number of recent fish kills. Earlier this month, the IFI noted that more than 500 fish died along a 2km stretch of the river Tolka in north Co Dublin.
The species affected by the incident included native brown trout and eels, stickleback, lamprey and minnow.
More than 7,500 fish died in the Cavan river at the end of July, while a few weeks earlier more than 500 fish died on the river Rye near Maynooth in Co Kildare.
More than 20,000 fish were killed by agricultural pollution in the river Glyde in June, with the affected area stretching from Aclint Bridge in Co Monaghan to Lynns Weir, Castlebellingham, Co Louth.
