THE third major fish kill in the north's rivers has occurred in as many months, with the latest in Co Fermanagh's Kesh River.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has launched an investigation after dozens of fish, including brown tout and salmon, were found dead in the river close to Kesh on Thursday.
A senior scientific officer with the NIEA told the BBC yesterday that the source, of what had caused the "very significant event", had yet to be established.
The incident occurred five days after a pollutant in Newtownabbey's Three Mile Water River left a "significant number" of fish including trout and eels dead.
The NIEA and the Rural Inland Fisheries body of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said the kill appeared to be caused by a quantity of detergent in the water.
In the same river in June, several hundred trout were found dead close to Monkstown, with the NIEA launching an investigation after sending a water quality inspector to the area.
Following yesterday's fish kill in Fermanagh, anglers told the BBC that the majority of dead fish had been on their way to spawn.
Chair of Kesh and District Angling Club, Ian Grimsley, warned it could "take years" for the fish numbers to return.
The Irish News contacted the NIEA last night for further comment.
