Community call for 'urgent reform' as pollution incidents go unprosecuted

A Co Antrim angling association have called for urgent reform after learning that no one would be prosecuted after thousands of fish were killed in a pollution incident.

A major pollution incident on the Crumlin River on 12th of February of 2023 resulted in the killing of 3,500 fish within a 6km section.

This week, the Crumlin Angling Association learned that no prosecution will be forthcoming.

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David Kennedy, Development Officer with the Crumlin and District Angling Association said: “It was alarming to learn this week that, despite over 3,500 being killed in a major pollution incident in 2023 that there will be no prosecution forthcoming.

“As it currently stands there is no recompense for our Angling club, as the managers of these waters. There is no way for us to reinstate what we have lost in terms of the number of fish and the damage to the entire ecosystem and habitat.

"Our river is in a much poorer state due to this major pollution incident, as will be Lough Neagh, where ultimately all this pollution ends up."

Earlier this week, Environment Minister Andrew Muir announced an independent review to strengthen environmental governance, with the appointment of a three-member panel.

“Quite frankly the system of reporting, investigating, ranking and bringing a case to completion is broken. Of the major fish kills across Northern Ireland between 2019 and 2023, amazingly 32 out of 49 saw no prosecution," David continued.

“Of a total of 41 confirmed pollution incidents on the Crumlin River alone over the same period, shockingly only one single case was brought to prosecution, a prosecution that was later dropped.

“Polluters will continue to pollute with impunity while the current approach continues.

“It is our view the urgent change is needed. We will be writing to both the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the independent panel, asking for a meeting to urgently address these concerns.”

Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney said the lack of prosecutions for the fish kills is "deeply concerning".

“The lack of prosecutions for fish kills in the north is deeply concerning. Sinn Féin has been meeting with angling groups who also share these frustrations," he said.

“The importance of maintaining clean waterways cannot be overstated. Their contamination has severe implications for our wider environment, including the destruction of associated biodiversity, adverse impacts upon the health of fish species, undermining the quality of drinking water, and resilience of the food chain.

“Anyone found to be contaminating waterways either deliberately or through reckless behaviour must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“The fact is that polluters will continue to pollute with impunity without legislative change and more robust enforcement by the relevant agencies.

“Local angling associations in South Antrim have repeatedly offered to assist DAERA with the detection of and reporting pollution, and also tracking and monitoring processes. This decision demonstrates that the status quo approach is not working. The department should now seriously engage with this offer from local stakeholders.”

DAREA have been contacted for comment but a response has yet to be received at the time of publication.

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