Slurry discharge costs Midleton Dairy Farmer €8,000
Media Release
Slurry discharge costs Midleton Dairy Farmer €8,000
Wednesday, 25th of November 2020: Mr Brian Duncan was fined €8,000 at Midleton District Court on Thursday, 12th of November 2020 following a prosecution taken by Inland Fisheries Ireland. Mr Duncan pleaded guilty before Judge Patricia Harney to polluting the Douglas River at Garryduff, Dungourney, Co. Cork in April 2018. The Court heard than an initial discharge of slurry from his farmyard was followed by further reoccurrences, resulting in a number of Court adjournments and hearings to allow completion of Court directed remedial works.
Inland Fisheries Ireland gave evidence that the river had been severely polluted by the slurry discharges which had rendered the riverine habitat inaccessible to spawning trout and salmon. Evidence was also given that Mr Duncan was running a large farm with a dairy herd in excess of 1,000 and that he had invested significantly in improving his yard facilities since the initial incident.
Judge Harney convicted Mr Duncan under Section 171 (1) of the Fisheries Consolidation Act 1959 and Section 3 (1) of The Local Government Water Pollution Act 1977, awarding full costs and expenses of €8,139 to Inland Fisheries Ireland.
While noting the remedial works undertaken by Mr. Duncan, Sean Long, Director of the South Western River Basin District at Inland Fisheries Ireland said: ‘Livestock manure and other organic fertilisers, effluents and soiled water have the potential to cause devastating effects on our fisheries resource. Good farmyard management and using preventative measures helps stop accidental discharges of polluting substances and protects the local environment which will have a significant and lasting positive impact on valuable wild fish populations and general wellbeing in an area.
I urge the farming community to remain vigilant to the risk of pollution from yards and slurry tanks. Inland Fisheries Ireland has a confidential hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents of water pollution, fish kills and illegal fishing – 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.’
To prevent waters from being polluted by nitrogen and phosphorus when land-spreading, Inland Fisheries Ireland advises farmers to refer to Good Agricultural Practice Regulations guidance on www.agriculture.gov.ie.
For more information on Inland Fisheries Ireland, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie.
ENDS
For media information:
Sadhbh O’Neill
Communications Assistant
Inland Fisheries Ireland
E: sadhbh.oneill@fisheriesireland.ie
T: 01 8842632/ 087 101 9998
About Inland Fisheries Ireland
Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communication (DECC) and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. Inland Fisheries Ireland promotes supports, facilitates and advises the Minister on the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling. Inland Fisheries Ireland also develops policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling and advises the Minister on same.
