A CO Derry farmer has been fined more than £5,000 over an effluent discharge which led a major fish kill in the River Grange Water.
Philip Palmer (53), of Tobermore Road in Desertmartin, appeared at Magherafelt Magistrates Court - sitting in Derry - yesterday.
Mr Palmer was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £3,525.34 for the fish kill after pleading guilty to the pollution offence which resulted in the loss of more than 2,600 fish.
The offence occurred on May 21 2020.
Separately anglers in Co Down have described a fish kill on the River Lagan as "major".
Staff from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) were at the river counting the number of dead fish.
The stretch of river at Thornyford Bridge, Dromore, is known for its wild brown trout fishing.
The bodies of well-grown trout are floating on the surface of the water, while stickleback can be seen in the silt on the riverbed.
The incident was reported to NIEA on Tuesday.
Officers from the agency have taken samples of the water for analysis.
A spokesperson told BBC NI: "NIEA are currently working with inland fisheries colleagues to assess the extent of the environmental impact on the waterway."
Iveagh Angling Club said the stretch of river was still recovering from a previous pollution incident in 2016.
