Anglers claim pollution was cause of fish deaths in Quoile

Anglers claim pollution was cause of fish deaths in Quoile

22 September 2021

ANGLERS in Downpatrick have rejected suggestions that pollution was not responsible for a fish kill in the Quoile River last week.

The Environment Agency believes that just over 400 fish died as a result of oxygen depletion in a stretch of waterway close to the bottom car park at the Steamboat Quay area, but have ruled out pollution.

Officials who visited the area last Thursday when the alarm was raised took a number of water samples away to be examined, but the the outcome of the detailed analysis by scientific staff is not yet known.

The Environment Agency insists that as a result of its investigations, there was no evidence of any pollution discharges “affecting the river at any point” after it was contacted by a member of the public.

An Agency spokeswoman said water quality inspectors were immediately deployed to the area and discovered a number of dead juvenile fish and some larger coarse fish.

“The fish mortalities were only noted downstream of the Quoile Countryside Centre with clear water and live, unstressed fish being observed at a number of points upstream, with no indication of any polluting discharge affecting the river at any point,” she said.

“Downstream of the Countryside Centre, the river was noted to be discoloured with a strong odour of hydrogen sulphide, similar to rotten eggs, which is an indication of anoxic or oxygen depleted conditions.”

The spokeswoman said given the information available to date, the evidence indicates that the fish died due to a sudden mixing of oxygen depleted waters and sediment and not from any polluting discharge.

She added: “In total, 404 dead fish have been counted with the majority of these being juvenile roach and rudd. The Environment Agency continues to collate further evidence in respect of the event, however, from investigation by both it and inland fisheries staff, there is no evidence to date of any polluting discharge being involved.”

A spokesman for Downpatrick Anglers said “significantly more” than 400 fish were killed and Agency staff who arrived at the Quoile after the alarm was raised walked along the banks of the river as part of their investigation.

He said they did not take to a boat, suggesting that this “would have been the obvious thing to do” as part of their examination.

The spokesman said anglers are also convinced there was a “significant fish kill” with many more fish lying dead on the bottom of the riverbed and that part of the waterway was indeed polluted.

“No one knows the cause of this pollution was,” he declared. “Anglers are not buying the suggestion that the fish kill was the result of oxygen depleted waters mixing with sediment. This only happens after torrential rain and high winds and this was not the weather we experienced last week.

“Anglers, who have fished the Quoile for many years, believe that some sort of pollution spill was responsible for the fish kill. They know this area well and have witnessed similar incidents over the years. It will be interesting to see what the examination of the water samples comes up with.”

The spokesman said anglers have not been provided with any definitive evidence that pollution was not responsible for the fish kill.

He added: “Seagulls were still feeding on the dead fish four days after the incident was reported. There is a pollution monitor at the Quoile barrier and we need to know if it was triggered.

“Now is the time for all politicians to put their differences to one side and ensure this beautiful river becomes one of the prime fishing spots in Ireland and take advantage on the huge and positive impact this would have on the area.”

South Down MLA Colin McGrath and Rowallane councillor Patrick Clarke have expressed concern about the incident and are seeking answers from government officials.

Mr McGrath said he was “horrified” to learn of the fish kill and has welcomed the investigation into its cause.

“This is an area which is growing in popularity and one which I have been working hard to see developed further. The Environment Agency is engaged in an investigation into the cause of death of these fish and I am patiently awaiting the outcome,” he said.

“We need to be absolutely certain what has caused such a large fish kill which is a disaster for the local environment and biodiversity. Let’s not forget, there are many other animals and wildlife that depend on fish stocks for their own sustainability.”

Mr McGrath said it was essential that once the cause of the deaths has been identified,statutory bodies do all within their power to prevent this from happening again.

Cllr Brown described the fish kill as “extremely worrying” in an area home to varied biodiversity that must be protected.

He confirmed that he has been working with local anglers to ensure the Quoile is maintained to the highest possible standard and developed in a sustainable manner that allows it to flourish as an environmentally friendly tourist attraction.

He added: “This sudden fall in fish stock levels will not only impact on local anglers but will have substantial consequences for the wildlife living in the surrounding area that rely on the fish stocks for their food source. It is crucial that we understand what has occurred here to ensure proactive measures can be put in place to prevent it from happening again.”

The Environment Agency says if anyone observes water pollution at a future date, they can report this to the organisation’s incident hotline on 0800 807060 or email emergency-pollution@daera-ni.gov.uk.