Up to 2,000 dead fish found on banks of Clare river

UP TO 2,000 fish have been found deceased in a Clare river, which has been described as never having “happened before”, to such a large extent. 

An investigation into local sightings of “hundreds of dead fish” between the 2.6km stretch of the Ballymacraven and Inagh rivers, near Ennistymon, has been launched. 

State agency Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) have released a statement following the sightings, in which they describe the incident as “serious”, due to reports of a “rusty red colour in the river”. 

The IFI are not yet in a position to confirm what caused the fish kill, as it is still early stages in their ongoing investigation. The species that were among the deceased included salmon, trout, eel, rudd and flounder, of all ages. 

Read here IFI's statement regarding fish kill in Co Clare: https://t.co/oyMnNKiUtO pic.twitter.com/Z3EYwVoIx4

— Inland Fisheries Ireland (@InlandFisherIE) May 8, 2023

Fisheries Environmental Officer with IFI, Jane Gilleran, told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that to see this number of eels dead, in particular, is "unusual".

"They tend to be a little bit more tolerant to pollution than trout and salmon, so it would highlight that it's been a very significant event that's come through,” Ms Gilleran said.

"This is the most significant fish kill in my 16 years with IFI that I've been working in the Shannon and southern regions.”

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The IFI’s official statement reads: “Water sampling work was subsequently undertaken to assess the quality of the water”. When results of the water sampling return, it is likely that an indication of what caused the incident will be identified. 

Instances of fish kills can be reported by calling IFI's confidential number on 0818 34 74 24.