Cian McCormack
North Tipperary County Council has launched an investigation into the dumping of hundreds of salmon at the county's main landfill at Ballaghveny, outside Nenagh.
The investigation was initiated after a Limerick-based fisherman raised the issue with council officials.
Mr Pat Peril, a member of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, raised the issue with North Tipperary County Council after the fishery board's December meeting was told that salmon were dying at Parteen Weir, the ESB's main fishery hatchery on the Shannon, near Birdhill.
Mr Peril established that hundreds of salmon were dying and being dumped by the waste-management company Advanced Environmental Solutions (AES) at the Ballaghveny landfill.
The council is investigating Mr Peril's claims, which have not been denied by the ESB.
The senior environmental engineer with the council, Mr Frank O'Halloran, confirmed that an investigation had been launched, and that the council had written to the ESB.
A spokesperson for the ESB fisheries said that many salmon were trapped at Parteen Weir every year and were disposed of under licence at the North Tipperary landfill.
The spokesperson added that 300 to 400 fish were disposed of in this manner each year.
A spokesperson for AES said: "AES are aware that North Tipperary County Council is examining other appropriate disposal routes for this material.
"AES will immediately implement any recommendations issued by the council regarding this matter."