Otter News Archive

ANTRIM Councillor Danny Kinahan has called for those responsible for polluting the Six Mile Water river in Antrim to be fined hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Just over a week ago, a spillage from the Mallusk area seeped into the Ballymartin River and Six Mile Water river, and killed all the fish stocks.

Cllr. Kinahan said companies and individuals must insure that something like this never happens again.

"The responsibility falls squarely on all the company directors, as well as the individual who may have done it without considering the damage he will cause," Cllr. Kinahan said.

He added: "Over the years, these rivers have had hundreds of thousands spent on restocking them with fish and reinvigorating all the other wildlife that are in and around our rivers.

"Now they have to start again, as all the invertebrates and the fish are dead, and we will very likely see the same happening to the birds and animals who rely on the river."

Cllr. Kinahan said he'd already heard of one kingfisher and an otter being found dead as a result.

"We do not know where this will stop. The Environment and Heritage Service have taken samples of the river and after working throughout the weekend to establish the damage, we await their results," Cllr, Kinahan said.

The Ulster Unionist councillor said he was aware of over a 100 cases of pollution to our rivers and that a clamp down on those who "don't bother to protect our natural environment" was needed.

"A recent fine in the tens of thousands is only a drop in the ocean to some of these companies," Cllr. Kinahan said.

He added: "The polluting incident is a criminal action and we really should make sure the fines are substantially higher and that action is taken quickly to identify and punish those responsible."

Cllr. Kinahan's comments echo those of his Ulster Unionist Party colleague David Burnside who this week called on Environment Minister Arlene Foster to act quickly on environmental protection reform in order to ensure incidents like the recent pollution in the Sixm ilewater and Ballymartin Rivers in Antrim are resigned to the past.

Mr Burnside cited the incident as an example of "systematic failure in environmental protection" in Northern Ireland.

He said that the natural habitat in Northern Ireland is one of our greatest assets which throughout recent history we have not treated with the respect and protection it deserves.

"The Sixmilewater is a great fishing river that attracts tourists and locals generating income and jobs for the local area," Mr Burnside said.

He added: "However, this pollution incident is only the latest in a long list of episodes to affect this area and there are fears that the fish stocks will never recover which will have a long-term impact on the local and regional area.

"Equally Lough Neagh is one of Northern Ireland's major sources of drinking water, so the wider community is affected by this pollution.

This incident, as tragic as it is, cannot be considered in isolation, it is a further indication that there is systematic failure within the Department of the Environment to prevent industries and others from polluting.”

Mr Burnside that Mrs Foster has had plenty of time to digest the Review of Environmental Governance’s Final Report.

“From this report it is evident that we have major problems in environmental protection and management in Northern Ireland,” Mr Burnside said.

He added: “It is time that the minister acted on this report so that the natural environment in Northern Ireland can flourish and so the future of businesses and communities that rely on our natural habitats are no longer jeopardised.

“The people of South Antrim and Northern Ireland deserve better and the improvement of environmental protection should be the only reward sought by the minister.”

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