Continuing business as usual will only lead to more disasters like the Blackwater fish kill 

Over 46,000 fish are now estimated be dead as a result of the disastrous fish kill in the River Blackwater, making it one of the largest fish kills in the history of the State. 

The ecological consequences of this disaster will be devastating and wide-ranging for the Blackwater, which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under European environmental law. It will impact not just the fish but also the overall health of the river as well as other species such as otter, kingfisher, and freshwater pearl mussel. The Blackwater, as one of Ireland’s main salmon rivers, also supports a large angling tourism industry, which will no doubt be affected by this incident. 

Investigations are still ongoing, and the cause of the fish kill is yet to be determined, however, this disaster has taken place in a river catchment already facing serious pressures. 

The kill occurred in a region where the water quality of our rivers has already deteriorated and in serious trouble. The EPA’s latest water quality report shows that nitrogen levels in the rivers of the south and southeast of the country remain far too high and at levels that adversely impact the health of the rivers in the region. Indeed, the Blackwater has been specifically identified by the EPA as a “catchment of concern” for nitrate pollution.  

On top of the existing pressures on water quality in the Blackwater catchment, our waterbodies are coming under even more stress as the climate crisis worsens and we face more frequent and more intense periods of low rainfall and high heat. During dry spells, such as that which the Blackwater region has experienced over the past few weeks [1], lower-than-usual water levels mean that any pollutants in our waterways will be at higher concentrations and therefore may be more potent. When a river is stressed from pollutants, fish are more vulnerable to a range of diseases that they might otherwise be able to cope with.  

Ultimately, if we continue business as usual, we will continue to seriously increase the likelihood of more disasters like the Blackwater fish kill. An Taisce is therefore writing to the Government to take urgent and decisive action to: 

• Fully investigate the cause (or causes) of the current kill and fully and urgently publicise the results;
• Implement immediate mitigation measures to prevent further impacts and to improve water quality in the river. This must include addressing nitrate pollution;
• Implement a programme of ecological rehabilitation measures at river basin catchment level to remediate the effects of the current kill insofar as is possible and to help ensure similar incidents do not occur again;
• Ensure adequate monitoring of polluting activities in the area and strengthen enforcement regimes to help prevent similar incidents.

Healthy river ecosystems and good water quality are vital for all life on this island. 

We cannot afford to sit back and let disasters like the Blackwater fish kill continue to occur.  

NOTES: 

[1] The water level as measured by the staff gauge at Killavullen on 20th August was 1.125m. Levels close to this value were experienced for almost a month previous to this. A level of 2.45m was recorded on 21st July by comparison.