“Hundreds” of fish killed in County Antrim river

Hundreds of young salmon and trout are believed to have been killed following a pollution incident in a river in County Antrim.

The Four Mile Burn is a major tributary of the Six Mile Water.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) contacted the Antrim and District Angling Association (ADAA) on Friday to inform them that a fish kill had been reported.

The incident is believed to have occurred above the village of Parkgate and is believed to be related to the farm.

In a video posted on social media, the ADAA said several of its members walked three miles along the river and counted “hundreds of dead fish from last year’s harvest and perhaps thousands from this season’s harvest.”

The group has called on Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir and the NIEA to “get to grips” with pollution incidents in the Lough Neagh system, which members say have left it “in ruins”.

The NIEA is understood to have traced the pollution to its source and taken samples from the river for examination.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has been contacted by BBC News NI for comment.

Mr Muir’s party colleague, Alliance environment spokesman John Blair MLA, said it was time to increase fines for polluters.

“It is extremely disappointing that such incidents continue to happen, particularly when they occur in the Lough Neagh catchment,” he added.

He said increasing fines and penalties is “the only way for polluters to learn and stop actions that endanger our environment and its rich biodiversity.”