This article is from page 3 of the 2006-09-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
AN investigation has been launched into a “very peculiar” suspected fish kill in a section of the River Fergus.
Tests on dead salmon found in the river near Doora bridge will be carried out in Limerick, after officers from the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board were called out last Thursday.
In total 10 dead fish were found on the river – five near Doora bridge; four further down the river near Clareabbey and one in Clarecastle.
The discovery was made at low tide by two local fishermen, Alan Considine and Martin Considine, earlier in the week.
Catherine Hayes, assistant director with the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, inspected the river and admitted the incident was unusual.
“It is very peculiar for it to happen in an area where there is such a high turnover of water.”
This section of the river is affected by tidal surges that raise water levels when fresh water is forced back up the system by a dam in Clarecastle. Fish kills usually occur due to a lack of oxygen in the water.
Mrs Hayes stated that no evidence of discharge had been found.
Local fishermen say their concerns over the condition of the river are being ignored.
Fred Coffey of the Fergus Salmon anglers association said, “You’d normally see a lot of trout in the river and a lot of small fish jumping about, but I haven’t seen a thing. When the tide rises, a lot more could be brought up”.
Cllr Joe Carey (FG) said the source of pollution must be determined as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, a meeting is being organised between farmers in Doonbeg and Kilmurry to fix a broken model, or type of weir, which threatens salmon stocks in the areas and could also lead to extensive flood damage to the local area.
The model, which is located at Cloghar Beach, has been at the centre of a long-running dispute between Clare County Council and the Office of Public Works with neither organisation willing to claim juristiction over it.
The meeting will take place over the next couple of weeks and organisers hope that a consensus between the farmers on how to move forward will be arrived at. It is likely that the first step will be to appoint an architect to examine the model and seawall located at Cloghar Beach.
In 2002, damage sustained by the model led to some 80 acres of local land being submerged.