Fish kills are the first indicator that something is seriously wrong with water quality and with the management of our environment. Only then does officialdom take notice and assess the potential threat to humans and to local water supplies. The public is shaken into awareness of the increasingly delicate balance that exists between development practices and sound environment management. Quality of life is slipping away. But industry and modern farming is not always to blame. The destruction of 20,000 salmon and trout along eight miles of the Mulkear River in Co. Limerick, last week, was a disaster. But it was a natural catastrophe, rather than man-made; a consequence of recent extensive flooding of farmland, rotting vegetation and hot, summer conditions. However, in a year that has provided 35 fish kills, it was the exception.
The Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, will seek reassurances from members of the main farming organisations in Dublin today about pollution. Later, he will discuss the issue with representatives of industry. Dr. Woods has the opportunity to do the country a signal service by taking a tough approach to water pollution and by ensuring that Fishery Boards are given overall responsibility by the Government for policing water quality and for prosecuting offenders. The Departments of the Environment and Agriculture have failed dismally in their responsibilities. And the great majority of local authorities have not fulfilled their statutory obligations by producing water management plans. Given those failures, it is time for a new, more focused approach.
The Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats coalition has undertaken to establish a National Environment Partnership Forum in its programme for government. That would be a positive development. It could address the concerns of the president of the IFA, Mr John Donnelly, who spoke yesterday about the establishment of a Countryside Management Unit which would co-ordinate and regulate the interaction of farming practices and the environment. But while consultation and agreement is useful between various interests, the enforcement of high water standards by the Fishery Boards is vital. In that regard, the proposal by a former Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Eamon Gilmore, for the introduction of a phosphate tax in the next Budget makes good sense. Low-level water pollution is now endemic in this State and excessive fertilizer use is largely responsible. Farming practices account for an estimated 46 per cent of general water pollution and for about 80 per cent of phosphate enrichment. In the Lee Valley in Cork, the phosphate content of the soil is four times the optimum level because of excessive fertilizer use. The great lakes of the West are under serious threat; those of the Shannon system are suffering massive algae blooms; the border lakes stink of pig slurry and all game fishing competitions have been suspended on the Lakes of Killarney. We are facing a collapse in water quality. All sectors involved, agriculture, industry, forestry and local authorities have their contributions to make.