DISCHARGE OF effluent from agriculture, industry and local authority sources and the “dumping of materials close to watercourses” were among the problems identified by complainants to the South Western Regional Fisheries Board last year.
In its annual report, the board – which covers most of the Cork and Kerry region – said it received almost 185 complaints of an environmental nature. It has also warned of “an upsurge of interference with important spawning grounds” by heavy machinery causing damage of thousands of euro at works near stream heads in recent months.
Several incidents of silt discharges from large civil and engineering development sites occurred last year, the report said.
However, there were no fish kills in the region and this may have been due both to improved effluent management and high rainfall “during the critical summer period”. Coarse angling on the Iniscarra lake, which the board jointly manages with the ESB, had a very successful year with pike and bream plentiful and tourist numbers on the increase.
In a separate statement, chief executive of the board Aidan Barry warned about the increase this year in interference with streams and land surrounding rivers and streams.
Fish eggs laid in October to December remained in the gravel until the beginning of May. However, actions such as river and stream drainage could directly destroy fish eggs by physically removing them from the river bed or by crushing them, he said.
“Silt put into suspension by a digger can also be carried further downriver by water flow and totally smother gravel beds downstream, resulting in the death of fish eggs away from the site,” he added. “In the past two weeks alone, investigations by the board into in-stream works has resulted in the initiation of legal proceedings in four instances.”
The board urged anyone considering excavation or drainage works to contact it so the potential impact on aquatic life and the habitat in general can be assessed.