The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board said yesterday it would seek additional funding from the Department of the Marine to tackle what it called a growing crisis in the region's waters.
The move follows the fifth recorded fish kill this year in Lickeen Lake in north Clare, where the board estimates that 1,500 brown and rainbow trout died on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the board's chief officer, Mr Eamon Cusack, said that moderate pollution was widespread throughout the region's lakes and rivers.
He said: "The fisheries board will be seeking further funding to tackle the crisis endemic throughout the region's waters. The problem will intensify unless the community takes action to reduce the eutrophication of our waters."
He said it was of deep concern to the board that Lickeen Lake, which has not been previously affected, should now be the scene of a fish kill, especially since the surrounding area is not intensively farmed.
Both the board and Clare County Council are investigating the incident. Preliminary results from the council indicate that a blue-green algae bloom was the cause of the kill.
Mr Cusack said fishery board results would not be available until Monday. He said he would be surprised if the samples did not conclude that the kill was due to eutrophication of the lake as a result of the over-enrichment of nutrients, including phosphates.
He added that the tourism potential of the lake, which was being developed by the board in conjunction with the Lickeen Trout Anglers' Society, was now seriously hampered.
A spokesperson for the anglers' society said it would take substantial funds to clean up the lake, adding that 7,000 fish the anglers have in holding tanks will remain for the time being.
The lake is the only main water supply source for north Clare. County engineer Mr Tom Carey again stressed that after more sampling and analysis of the supply he was satisfied with the quality of the water.