'It's a disgrace how our rivers have been left'

Key Points:

• Over the past five years, more than 50,000 fish have died in Northern Ireland due to 65 separate water pollution incidents, primarily in counties Armagh, Tyrone, and Fermanagh, with nearly half of these cases receiving no enforcement action due to unidentified pollution sources.
• Agriculture is the leading cause of these fish kills, accounting for almost half of the pollution incidents, though industry and Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) also contribute significantly to water pollution.
• Local fisherman Plunket Scullion described the situation as "an absolute disgrace," highlighting the severe impact on local fisheries, including the near-complete wipeout of fish in the Torrent River following a slurry spill in 2022.
• NI Water acknowledged rare but serious pollution incidents linked to its assets and stressed the need for urgent investment to upgrade outdated wastewater infrastructure to prevent worsening pollution, while the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) continues investigations and enforcement where possible.
• Environment Minister Andrew Muir has proposed new legislation to increase fines and penalties for pollution offences, aiming to strengthen deterrents against polluters, as current low prosecution rates are seen as insufficient to protect Northern Ireland’s waterways.