Farmers are being urged to “continue to be vigilant” and play their part in protecting waterways from the threat of agricultural water pollution.

Making the calls, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) highlighted the potential damage that silage effluent can cause to aquatic life in local rivers.

The call comes following the conviction of a farm which permitted agricultural effluent to enter the Suileen River, a tributary of the Clare River in Co. Galway.

In a statement, IFI said:

“While the advent of round bales has reduced the potential for pollution, Inland Fisheries Ireland is warning that the continued use of silage pits can put rivers at risk.

“Silage effluent is a highly toxic substance when it gets into rivers, starving the fish and invertebrate life of oxygen. When rivers are low in summertime, even a small leak can cause huge damage.

“Maintenance of silage pits and slurry storage facilities is essential to ensure that leaks or overflows are not permitted,” the authority says.

To prevent waters from being polluted by nitrogen and phosphorus when land-spreading, Inland Fisheries Ireland is advising farmers to refer to Good Agricultural Practice Regulations 2017, which advises to:

  • Spread livestock manure and other organic fertilisers, effluents and soiled water as accurately and as evenly as possible;
  • Do not use an upward-facing splash plate or sludge irrigator on a tanker or umbilical system for spreading organic fertiliser or soiled water;
  • Do not spread organic fertilisers or soiled water from a road or passageway, even if the road or passageway is on your own holding;
  • Do not spread chemical fertilisers, livestock manure, soiled water or other organic fertilisers when: the land is waterlogged, flooded or likely to flood, frozen or snow-covered; or if heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours;
  • Do not spread chemical fertilisers, livestock manure, soiled water or other organic fertilisers if the ground has a steep slope and if there is a significant risk of causing pollution;
  • When you are deciding whether there is a risk, you must take into account how close you are to waters, what condition the soil is in, the ground cover and how much rainfall there is or how much rainfall is expected;
  • Do not spread chemical fertiliser on land within 1.5m of a surface watercourse.

Commenting, Patrick Gorman, Galway director in the Western River Basin District at Inland Fisheries Ireland said:

“Having good water quality in our lakes and rivers is vital for healthy fish stocks and their habitats.

“We are appealing to farmers to take precautionary measures during the current silage season and when land-spreading, to ensure watercourses are protected against harmful pollutants.

“Silage effluent is a major pollutant if it enters a watercourse and can have severe and long-term consequences. The increase in excessive nutrients drastically reduces the oxygen content in the water and can be the cause of major fish kills.

“To protect water quality within our fisheries, we are asking the farming community to continue to be vigilant and practise good farmyard management.

“Any member of the public can report suspected pollution directly to Inland Fisheries Ireland’s 24-hour confidential hotline on 1890-347424.”