Members' Statements – in the Northern Ireland Assembly am 10:45 am ar 18 Mehefin 2024.
I want to comment briefly on the fish kill that happened in the River Roe in County Londonderry. The incident was confirmed by the Loughs Agency, which said that 700 juvenile salmon and trout died in the incident at Burnfoot, between Limavady and Dungiven, on Friday evening. That is a spawning area for salmon and a nursery area for juvenile fish, both salmon and sea trout, and the incident could have a long-term impact on the river. Anglers in the area have all said that they are devastated by what happened over the weekend. It appears to have been a huge incident. I call on the agencies to urgently identify the source, investigate the matter fully and if, as we suspect, it is foul play, ensure that those who are responsible face penalties. It is another in a long list of fish kills in the Province and across the UK, and I call on anyone who has information about the source of this latest kill to please report it urgently.