Armagh: Fish kill in Callan River worst ever, say anglers

A fish kill on a tributary of the Callan River in County Armagh is "probably the worst ever" in the area, local anglers have said.

It is thought hundreds of juvenile salmon have died as a result of a slurry spill at one of its tributaries, the Corkley River near Keady.

The incident was first reported to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) on Saturday 21 October.

Officials have visited the area and the dead fish are being counted.

Up to a mile-long stretch of the river is believed to have been affected.

A local environmental group say hundreds of juvenile salmon have died in the Callan River

A spokesperson from the NIEA said a source has been identified and statutory samples have been collected.

The Callan is a tributary of the Blackwater, one of the main rivers flowing into Lough Neagh.

As the pollution travels downstream, it will become more diluted as the distance increases, ultimately disappearing.

At this time of year, salmon and brown trout are coming into the river system to breed.

As well as fish, the invertebrates, insects, worms and larvae that they feed on have also been affected.

Armagh Angling Club described the incident as a blow from which it could take years for the fish stocks to recover.

Local environmental conservation group Keepers of the Callan, described the fish kill as "heart-breaking and totally devastating".

Salmon and brown trout have been returning to the rivers to breed

It said its members discovered "hundreds" of dead fish piled up on river banks and in deep pools.

"This could not have happened at a worse time with the river full of fish making their way upstream to spawn in a few weeks' time," they said.

The group, which was set up more than seven years ago, pointed out it was the "fourth time in the last six years" that the Callan River had been subjected to a fish kill.

"It's been an uphill battle against polluters. Paltry, petty fines meted out by the courts is no deterrent for those guilty of causing such devastation," a statement from the group said.

"Government agencies charged with the care and maintenance of our waterways need to take tougher action, and this means substantial fines and for repeat offenders, even custodial sentences."

Analysis: Generations wiped out?

Heavy rainfall means the Callan river is flowing fast today.

That will help disperse the slurry pollution more rapidly, but local people tell me there are reports of fish in distress five miles downstream.

While pollution would dissipate long before reaching Lough Neagh, it is the effect on the overall fish population that is of concern.

The fish were killed after a slurry spill near Keady, County Armagh

This is one of the places where salmon, brown trout and dollaghan - the Lough Neagh trout - come to spawn.

It is also a nursery ground for the juvenile fish who will become the future season's breeders.

The concern is that those generations may have been all but wiped out.