The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board was yesterday standing over an earlier statement that the effluent which caused the disastrous fish kill on the Mulkear river in Co Limerick "was of an agricultural nature". Yesterday anglers again called on the Minister to suspend drainage activities on the Mulkear system until all investigations are completed.
The board revealed that analysis to date of samples confirms the effluent was of an agricultural nature "but the combination of factors is considerably more complex than initially thought".
A board statement continues: "Based on our analysis and on discussions with technical experts, it is our opinion that the unprecedented theory put forward by other organisations and individuals of decaying flooded grasslands as being solely responsible for the severe oxygen depletion of the Mulkear is not sustainable. The sheer volume and potency of effluent emanating from the callows area of the Dead River could not be attributed solely to decomposing grasses.
"The production of this effluent, whether by natural or manmade causes, is, we believe, a complex matter and one which all interested parties agree will require further urgent study if a recurrence is to be avoided," it said.
The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, at a meeting on Thursday, agreed to the request of the Shannon board to make the necessary resources available to set up a team of relevant experts.
The task is to ascertain the elements which produced the effluent in such large quantities as to wipe out seven miles of prime salmon and trout river and make recommendations to prevent its recurrence.
The board said it is "greatly heartened" by the action plan on pollution prevention announced by Dr Woods at the meeting. "The implementation of these initiatives will assist greatly in the effort to produce a healthier water environment in our rivers and lakes. We are also encouraged by the response of the farming organisations and we look forward to working with them", added the board. The board's chief officer, Mr Eamon Cusack, revealed that following an electro-fishing survey of the seven-mile affected area, the board could confirm that more than 20,000 salmon and trout had been killed. With oxygen levels improving, fish are returning to some areas, but it will be three to five years before the section is fully restored. Further analysis is being undertaken by the board and investigations in the area are continuing, he added.
The board was assisted in its operations by the ESB, Central Fisheries Board, the Department of Marine and Cappamore fire brigade and the local farming community "who despite having the finger pointed at them, co-operated fully with our staff".
The river's anglers' association secretary, Mr Andy McCallion, welcomed the statement by the board which clearly states that an agricultural source was responsible for the fish kill.
He also welcomed the setting up by the Minister of the action plan to deal with water pollution nationally. The anglers were grateful that the farmers supplied materials and transport to stem the flow of the toxic liquid and said that without their help the disaster would have been of a much larger scale. He added: "However, we remain deeply disturbed by the comments of a small number of influential individuals", who he claimed were spreading misleading information from day one. The anglers are also concerned at the statement released by Limerick County Council which he alleged echoed "almost verbatim" the statements by farmers and the fact that the council report had no scientific base.
Local farmers, backed by the Irish Farmers' Association, repeatedly claimed that farm effluents had nothing to do with the incident and blamed it on the recent weather conditions.