Waterways in Fermanagh have once again been polluted, sparking widespread disappointment when it emerged at the weekend that Edenclaw River – a tributary of the Glendurragh (Kesh) River – has been subject to pollution.

The reports of pollution at the river on April 3 marks the second time in recent times that pollution has occurred in the Kesh area.

Following a major fish kill in the area last September that killed an estimated 2,500 fish, it was found by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) that “two chemicals of interest” were present in the water. Investigations are still ongoing into that incident.

The latest pollution incident occurred on Sunday, April 3, with DAERA confirming that a pollution incident had occurred.

A spokesperson said: “At 10.12am on April 3, the NIEA received a report of water pollution in the Kesh River.

“A water quality inspector and the on-call duty emergency pollution officer from the NIEA attended the reported location that day.

“The pollution was traced a significant distance upstream; however, a specific source of the discharge was not identified.

“Further enquires will be made in this immediate area to try and identify the source. No dead fish were observed during the investigation.”

Stephen Hey, from Kesh and District Angling Club, referred to the latest event as “another regrettable incident”.

Discussing the circumstances behind the discovery of the pollitopm, he said: “I received a call on Sunday morning concerning a pollution incident on the Edenclaw River, a small tributary of the Glendurragh River.

“We noticed gross discolouration in the main river, and traced this as far as possible upstream.”

Alluding to previous incidents, Mr. Hey said: “It is not the first time this has happened in this area. No dead fish were seen during our investigation, but they are in much reduced numbers anyway due to continuing pollution incidents.”

He added: “[This event marks] another regrettable incident on a small but important nursery stream for the lower lough.

“Efforts by DAERA fisheries staff, local anglers, and conservationists – including the agricultural community of this valuable, but often undervalued, resource – are rendered totally ineffective by events of this nature.”