Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has confirmed that it is investigating a “significant fish kill” at Cavan Town river.

IFI officers have observed significant numbers of dead trout, coarse fish, and eels over a 2km stretch of the river.

Early indications suggest more than 4,500 fish have died. 

Species of fish discovered dead include: brown trout; European eel; roach; lamprey; and minnow; as well as freshwater crayfish.

IFI officers received a hotline report late on Tuesday night (July 28) and attended on-site early Wednesday morning.

IFI is working with other government agencies in line with the national interagency protocol for investigating significant fish kills, and is the lead agency on this case.

Interagency

An interagency group met online Wednesday to coordinate the ongoing investigation.

The group included representatives from Cavan County Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Marine Institute, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.The interagency group said it is actively probing the cause of this “harmful ecological event”, but added that it is too early to definitively establish the cause.IFI continues to urge the public to report instances of fish kills, water pollution, habitat destruction, or illegal fishing to its confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24.

Other incidents

Earlier this month (Friday, July 10), IFI announced the investigation of fish kills in Co. Cork and Co. Galway.

At Curraghalicky Lake near Dunmanway, Co. Cork, several hundred dead juvenile bream were recovered from the lake. 

In the Co. Galway incident, up to 120 fish died. IFI outlined that a suspected pollution incident occurred "on a tributary of the Dunkellin River in east Galway".

"Species of fish discovered dead include salmon, trout, perch, stone loach, stickleback, and lamprey," it stated.

On the same day, the agency said it was also investigating a suspected pollution incident in the Deenagh River at Killarney, Co. Kerry.