Oireachtas committee calls for tougher penalties after major Blackwater fish kill in Cork

An Oireachtas committee recommends stronger enforcement powers, rapid response protocols and tougher penalties following Ireland’s largest recorded fish kill

An inter-agency report into the Blackwater fish kill published in September concluded that there was no evidence of a systemic disease in the dead fish. File photo: IFI/Facebook

Penalties for environmental offences should be increased to include custodial sentences, an Oireachtas committee has urged, in the wake of the major Blackwater fish kill in Cork earlier this year.

Having held an urgent meeting in September to try to "build a comprehensive picture" of the causes of the State’s largest ever fish kill incident, the Oireachtas Environment Committee has made 11 recommendations aimed at ensuring such an event does not take place again.