§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was in each of the last five years and the current year to the latest available date, the number of pollution incidents which resulted in fish kills in Northern Ireland waters; what waters were involved; what fish species were killed and in what approximate numbers; what action was taken to restock and the cost of restocking in each case; how many of the pollution incidents were the result of pollution material emanating from(a) Department of Environment premises, (b) farms, (c) industrial premises and (d) other; what was the number of prosecutions brought; and if he will list the results of the court proceedings. [1966]
§ Mr. Moss[holding answer 1 November 1996]Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Environment and Heritage Service under its chief exucutive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Robert C. Martin to Mr. William Ross, dated 22 November 1996:
As Chief Executive of Environment and Heritage Service, I am responsible for all operational aspects of the Department of the Environment's environmental policies.186W
Waterway affected Fish species affected Number Killed (aprox.) Pollution source Action taken against the polluter Fine + costs (£) Restocking costs (£) 1991 Auglish trout and minnows 200 silage prosecution 601 none Carnowen trout 2,500 food processing prosecution 478 3,273 Owenbeg trout 1,500 silage prosecution 429 600 Strule salmon 174 industry prosecution 1,052 pending Castle (Roe) trout 1,500 agriculture prosecution 347 475 Boveva (Roe) trout 750 agriculture none—defendant deceased Faughan minnows 10 industry prosecution 308 none Drum trout 28 agriculture warning letter n/a 380 Ballinderry trout 331 agriculture prosecution—absolute discharge costs 127 504 Ballinderry not assessed gas (poaching) no offender found n/a none Maine not assessed agriculture warning letter n/a none Maine salmon, parr and trout 300 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a n/a (private fishery) Maine various 1000's industry prosecution 610 n/a (private fishery) Maine trout, fry and eels 75 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a n/a (private fishery) Maine trout and dollaghan 150 industry warning letter n/a (private fishery) Crumlin trout 645 agriculture prosecution 803 550 Crumlin trout 1,284 agriculture prosecution 100 1,510 Crumlin not assessed oil warning letter n/a n/a (private fishery) Agivey trout, salmon and fry 650 agriculture prosecution 400 n/a (private fishery) Agivey trout and salmon fry 1,000 agriculture prosecution 400 n/a (private fishery) Agivey various 400 agriculture prosecution 50 n/a (private fishery) Leitrim trout, fry and eels 78 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge 198 340 Whitewater trout, salmon and fry 280 agriculture prosecution 100 198 Upper Bann trout 392 agriculture prosecution 1,166 284 Upper Bann trout, dollaghan and salmon 186 industry prosecution absolute discharge 238 744 Lagan trout 150 agriculture prosecution withdrawn 400 Lagan trout 300 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 164 Lagan trout and fry 350 industry warning letter n/a 300 Lagan not assessed unknown n/a n/a none Bush trout 32 agriculture prosecution 354 n/a (private fishery) Grillagh trout and salmon fry 1,000 agriculture prosecution 446 n/a (private fishery) Torrent unknown unknown agriculture warning letter n/a 300 Torrent not assessed agriculture warning letter n/a 379 Torrent not assessed sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 253 Torrent trout 27 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 67 Mayobridge trout 80 agriculture warning letter n/a 25 Lonagher not assessed agriculture prosecution 607 none Coolaness not assessed agriculture prosecution 302 none Finn not assessed agriculture warning letter none Cusher not assessed sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 160 Cusher not assessed sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a none 187W
I am therefore responding to the written Parliamentary Question which you put down in the House of Commons on 30 October 19)6 'to ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what was in each of the last 5 years and the current year to the latest available date, the number of pollution incidents which resulted in fish kills in Northern Ireland waters, what waters were involved, what fish species were killed and in what approximate numbers; what action was taken to restock and the cost of restocking in each case; how many of the pollution incidents were the result of polluting material emanating from (a) Department of Environment premises, (b) farms, (c) industrial premises and (d) other; what was the number of prosecutions brought; and if he will list the result of the court proceedings'.The enclosed schedule lists all reported polluted incidents which resulted in a fish kill and included cases where prosecutions have been taken under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 and the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1996. Where costs have been obtained towards the cost of restocking this is carried out by either the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland or by the Foyle Fisheries Commission. In cases where private fishery has been affected, we have no record of whether restocking costs have been awarded as a result of any private court action.I trust that you find this information helpful.188W189W
Waterway affected Fish species affected Number Killed (aprox.) Pollution source Action taken against the polluter Fine + costs (£) Restocking costs (£) Burren trout and eels 102 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 761 Creggan trout 80 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 189 Ghann trout 202 sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 148 Woodvale not assessed sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a none Quoile not assessed water abstraction none n/a none Ballybay not assessed unknown n/a n/a none Enler trout and stickleback 4 trout and several s/back unknown n/a n/a none 1992 Castle (Roe) trout and salmon 850 agriculture prosecution 383 3,280 Routing Burn trout and salmon 100,000 agriculture prosecution 567 assessed at 50,000 Fintona trout 200 agriculture prosecution 497 none Drumquin trout 200 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge costs 313 185 Derg trout 1,000 agriculture prosecution 270 508 Fairywater trout 1,200 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge costs 469 612 Salterstown not assessed agriculture prosecution 578 none Ballinderry not assessed agriculture prosecution 376 none Ballinderry not assessed industry no further action 3,878 Ballinderry not assessed low oxygen levels none—no polluter found n/a none Blackstaff not assessed agriculture warning letter none Oona trout, pike 77 agriculture warning letter n/a 470 Oona not assessed oil prosecution 479 none Oona trout 1,141 sewage prosecution 427 300 Bessbrook not assessed industry prosecution 1,383 none Blackwater various 1,000's sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a 1,832 Kilkeel trout, salmon smolts 80 industry prosecution—absolute discharge costs 50 432 Kesh trout 410 agriculture prosecution 452 950 Kesh not assessed agriculture prosecution 452 625 Callan trout 347 agriculture prosecution 412 none Callan not assessed unknown n/a n/a none Finn trout 100 agriculture warning letter n/a 450 Brook trout, salmon, fry 120 oil warning letter n/a 221 Brook not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Woodville not assessed sewage (DOE) no further action n/a none Bann not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Torrent not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Ballygally not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Ravarnet not assessed low oxygen levels none—no polluter found n/a none Hillsborough Lake not assessed low oxygen levels none—no polluter found n/a none Clady not assessed unsubstantiated no further action n/a none Ballynahinch not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Woodvale not assessed sewage (DOE) no further action n/a none Quoile not assessed waiter abstraction none—no pollution n/a none Ballybay not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none 1993 Routing Burn trout and salmon 300 agriculture prosecution 788 none Ballinamallard not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Fourmile Burn not assessed industry warning letter n/a none Sixmilewater trout 2,500 industry prosecution 4,161 n/a (private fishery) Sixmilewater trout 60 water abstraction none—no pollution n/a 100 Ballinderry not assessed agriculture none—no polluter found n/a none Lagan not assessed unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Aghindarragh Lough not assessed agriculture prosecution 403 n/a (private fishery) Doagh River not assessed agriculture prosecution 110 none Whitewater not assessed suspected poison none—no polluter found n/a none Knockoneill not assessed peat slide none—natural phenonmenon n/a n/a (private fishery) Rock trout 300–400 cement warning letter n/a 475 Killygreen Lough not assessed agriculture prosecution 319 n/a (private fishery) 1994 Strule all species in the river 10 miles of river industry prosecution 3,240 ongoing Ballykelly trout 1,000 agriculture prosecution—absolute discharge costs 251 300 Gelvin trout 1,500 agriculture prosecution 312 486 Glenmoran trout and salmon 90 dairy effluent none—extenuating circumstances n/a none Muff trout 20 agriculture prosecution—absolute discharge costs 115 183 Newry Canal pike 50 landfill runoff warning letter n/a none Macosquin River trout and salmon 213 agriculture prosecution 670 646 Inver trout several 10,000s oil (industry) prosecution—acquitted n/a n/a (private fishery) Kellswater trout 300 low water flow none—no pollution n/a none 190W191W
Waterway affected Fish species affected Number Killed (approx.) Pollution source Action taken against the polluter Fine + costs (£) Restocking costs (£) Upper Bann trout 20 sewage (DOE) papers lost in transit n/a none Cusher trout and dollaghan 437 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge 380 3,773 Lagan trout, fly 318 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge 312 490 Ballybay trout 100 agriculture none—no polluter found n/a none Lisnalinchey Burn trout 20 agriculture prosecution 553 none Ravarnet trout/salmon 183 agriculture prosecution—conditional discharge 183 470 Blackstaff trout 25–30 agriculture warning letter 312 Killymoon River trout 35 unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Ravarnet trout/salmon 183 agriculture prosecution 251 283 Well Water trout and salmon fry 200 agriculture warning letter n/a n/a (private fishery) Drum trout 1,011 agriculture prosecution 1,285 1,045 Doora trout 96 agriculture warning letter n/a none Salterstown Burn trout 418 agriculture warning letter n/a 344 Lissan trout 1,458 industry warning letter n/a 2,704 Kurin Burn trout and salmon 482 agriculture prosecution 914 n/a (private fishery) Tynan trout 8 agriculture prosecution 65 115 Tynan not assessed agriculture prosecution 115 182 Moyola unable to assess agriculture prosecution withdrawn n/a n/a (private fishery) Tributary of Belfast L. trout 4 agriculture prosecution 677 none Dibney trout 4 unknown none—no polluter found n/a none Blackwater trout 3 oil prosecution 701 none 1995 Owenreagh trout 6,000 agriculture prosecution 580 3,500 Drumragh trout 4,200 abbattoir waste prosecution 911 2,128 Foyle Tributary trout 200 sewage follow up correspondence none Clanrye trout and salmon 60 oil warning letter 450 Ballynahinch trout 250 agriculture prosecution—(2 offenders) 1,417 688 Ballygawley trout 943 agriculture prosecution 1,042 Kellswater trout 150 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a Cusher trout 100 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a Dibney trout 117 chemical warning letter n/a 174 Aghintain trout, trout fry, eels 60 trout, 1,000s of fry sewage prosecution 909 ongoing Finn trout 7 sewage (DOE) warning letter assessed at 477 Kellswater trout 537 industry prosecution 630 Upper Bann trout 100 sewage (DOE) inconclusive n/a none Loughbrickland lake trout 65 low oxygen levels none—no polluter n/a none Glasswater trout 627 sewage (DOE) warning letter none Ballymartin trout 30 agriculture prosecution 725 none Lagan trout 60 low oxygen levels n/a—no polluter n/a none Farlough Lake trout 150 low oxygen levels n/a—no polluter n/a n/a (private fishery) Upper Ballinderry trout 368 agriculture warning letter n/a 337 Clanrye trout 60 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a none Clanrye trout and salmon 60 sewage (DOE) warning letter 1,878 Ballinamallard trout and salmon unable to assess agriculture prosecution 445 6,034 Tempo trout 250 agriculture prosecution pending none Cleen trout 40 sewage n/a no polluter found n/a none Clady trout 35 low oxygen levels n/a n/a none Lackey assorted coarse fish several hundred agriculture prosecution 463 none Crumlin trout 171 sewage (DOE) warning letter assessed at 967 Moyola trout 40 agriculture prosecution 188 n/a (private fishery) Lagan trout 119 low oxygen levels n/a no polluter found n/a none Bush trout and salmon several hundreds industry prosecution 11,364 n/a (private fishery) Lough Head bream 70 sewage (DOE) warning letter none Quoile pike 175 oil/organic matter warning letter n/a none Strand Lough eels, sticklebacks 6 eels, 147 sticklebacks agriculture prosecution 407 none Lagan sticklebacks 250 unsubstantiated no further action none Lissan trout not assessed unknown no further action n/a none Cusher trout 300 low oxygen levels n/a—no polluter found n/a none Tall trout sewage (DOE) warning letter 96 Quoile assorted coarse fish 150 sewage (DOE) warning letter none Rhone perch 184 creamery effluent prosecution 521 none 1996 Camowen trout 1,250 agriculture prosecution pending pending Woodville roach fry 10,000 unknown no further action n/a none Upper Bann assorted species 13,173 chemical (DOE) warning letter n/a not yet finalised Lagan trout and eel 42 trout, 1 eel industry prosecution 930 813 Farlough trout 27 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a none
Waterway affected Fish species affected Number Killed (aprox.) Pollution source Action taken against the polluter Fine + costs (£) Restocking costs (£) Ravarnet trout, salmon 50 trout, 27 salmon agriculture prosecution pending assessed at 910 Kilkeel salmon parr and fry 200 sandwashing (DOE) warning letter recommended none Ballymartin trout 234 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a none Wee Agivey trout 350 agriculture warning letter—extenuating circumstances n/a n/a (private fishery) Crumlin trout (fish farm) 1,000 agriculture prosecution pending assessed at 1,806 Oona trout not assessed agriculture warning letter n/a 240 Callan trout 150 agriculture warning letter n/a 450 Roughan assorted species 70 poaching none—no offender found n/a none Camlough Lake assorted coarse fish 10 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a none Necarne (1 incident) trout, eel 12 trout, 1 eel sewage (DOE) warning letter n/a none Necarne (1 incident) trout and eel 12 trout, 1 eel agriculture warning letter n/a none Drum not assessed agriculture prosecution pending assessed at 859 Butterwater trout 30 agriculture decision pending n/a assessed at 375 Newry Canal perch 50 unknown n/a—no polluter found n/a none Cunningham trout 53 agriculture prosecution pending assessed at 424 Derriaghey trout 22 sewage (DOE) warning letter recommended n/a none Fardross not assessed agriculture decision pending none Kellswater trout 450 industry decision pending n/a (private fishery) Ballynahinch trout 150 agriculture warning leter recommended n/a assessed at 600 Ballinamallard trout fry unknown agriculture prosecution recommended assessed at 352 Kellswater trout 100 agriculture prosecution recommended none Tonent not assessed sewage (DOE) decision pending n/a none Kellswater trout 260 industry/sewage decision pending n/a (private fishery) Blackwater trout 300 poaching none—no offender found n/a Drumadonnel trout 200 agriculture decision pending pending Kellswater trout, dollaghan 73 trout, 4 dollaghan sewage (DOE) decision pending n/a n/a (private fishery) Inve: trout 10 tons (fish farm) industry decision pending n/a (private fishery) Ardilee trout 100 landfill leachate decision pending pending