He was also ordered to pay £960 compensation after an investigation discovered a black plastic pipe discharging brown coloured farm effluent to the River Lagan.

 A Dromore farmer has been fined after a fish kill traced back to his land.

An investigation discovered a black plastic pipe discharging brown coloured farm effluent to the River Lagan.

At Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Alan Wilson (56), from Lurgan Road, Dromore, admitted a water pollution offence.

He was fined £750 and must pay the £15 offenders levy, together with £960.64 as compensation to the Department of Agriculture as a result of the fish kill on the River Lagan.

The court heard that dead fish were confirmed in the river on the evening of August 23, 2022.

The following day a Senior Water Quality Inspector acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency observed dead fish in the waterway and dead fish on the riverbed.

An investigation revealed the pipe discharging effluent.

The contamination was caused by urea fertiliser entering the River Lagan via storm drainage systems on Wilson’s farm. A strong odour of ammonia was detected from the effluent.

Court heard a tripartite statutory sample was collected which, when analysed, was found to contain poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24 hour Incident Hotline on: 0800 80 70 60.

Source: Armagh 6th February 2024