Council calls for reopening of hatchery to combat Cork fish kill
The decimation of aquatic life along the Blackwater Valley includes game fish such as salmon and trout, and coarse fish such as roach, dace, eels, and the small stickleback.
Reopening a hatchery which once released 1.25m young salmon and 250,000 young trout every year is the only way to combat the damage done by the biggest fish kill in the history of the state.
That’s according to Cork County Council which is to write to minister in charge of inland fisheries Timmy Dooley requesting he reopen the fish hatchery at Bearforest, Mallow so that fish stocks along a devastated 40km stretches of the River Blackwater and its tributaries in North Cork are rejuvenated.
While the search is still on to identify what was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 50,000 fish, the urgency to replenish stocks in the river has been highlighted.
Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes won unanimous support for his proposal from council colleagues after outlining the importance of reopening the facility which closed a number of years ago.
It was established several decades ago as a key regional hub for breeding and restocking native fish species — particularly salmon and trout. It operated under the guidance of Inland Fisheries Ireland and was staffed by dedicated fisheries officers and local experts.
The hatchery played an important ecological and educational role in the region, supporting healthy fish stocks and helping to mitigate the effects of pollution, overfishing at sea with large factory ships, and habitat loss.
In the early 2000s, operations were scaled back and eventually ceased, despite strong local support for its continued use. Since then, Salmon stocks have been declining.
“The recent catastrophic fish kill wiped out multiple year classes of fish. A local hatchery would allow for urgent and targeted restocking to prevent long-term ecological damage.
"Hatcheries can help restore endangered or declining fish populations by reintroducing genetically suitable stock to the affected waterways, preserving local biodiversity,” Mr Hayes said.
He pointed out that angling tourism is “a major economic contributor” in the Mallow and Blackwater Valley region.
“A functioning hatchery, which was there for over 60 years, could once again serve as an educational hub, engaging local schools, volunteers and environmental groups in conservation and river stewardship,” he added.
Back in the day it served to provide the River Blackwater with the highest return of salmon in the country.
Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan said a visiting salmon fisherman is estimated to contribute nearly €1,000 to the local economy and Labour councillor Ronan Sheehan said it is one of the top hatcheries in Europe.
Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse said the scale of fish kill warrants the hatchery reopening.
"We cannot allow a fish kill on this scale to happen again. I think we need continuous monitoring units linked up to an alert system, at all wastewater treatment plants and industry discharge points and other sensitive locations in rivers around the country so we can catch a pollution event immediately,” Ms Towse said.
