
by Joe McCann
A SLURRY spill that polluted Ballyholme beach last week also caused a major fish kill, it has been revealed.
The slurry came from a farm which flowed into the Cotton River and onto the beach on Thursday morning where local walkers reported a strong smell.
Stormont Minister, Andrew Muir, has revealed the source of the pollution was quickly identified by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, which required the farm manager to stop further discharge.
“The pollution incident was confirmed as high severity due to the environmental impact on the waterway and on Ballyholme Bay, Mr Muir revealed in a letter to North Down MLA, Peter Martin. “The local council was notified and an ‘advice against bathing’ notice issued.”
Samples were taken and showed that the pollution in Ballyholme Bay had dispersed by Friday, although the pollution was still elevated in the Cotton River.
The spill has sparked concern from local residents and politicians with fears that wildlife has been harmed, including otters and geese.
Local man David Wilson, who lives close to the Cotton River, said the smell from the spill was extremely strong and he feared for the wildlife which call the area home.
“I regularly walk my dog along the river to the beach about three times a day and in the evening last week there was a really strong smell of slurry coming from the river,” he said.
“My concern is for the wildlife who live on the river, as there are otters and their pups in the river which I’ve seen recently and heard them in the past few weeks.
“I’ve seen herons and kingfishers and that’s also not counting the large number of fish, and I imagine the spill would have killed a lot of animals downstream from the spill.
“Geese which feed at the mouth of the river have been nowhere to be seen,” he continued. “I imagine they’re avoiding it as it still smells very bad down at the beach where it seems to have saturated a lot of the kelp and seaweed,” he said.
Mr Martin said he had contacted DAERA and called for long-term solutions to the pollution problems affecting Ballyholme beach and the Cotton river.
“Ballyholme is such a popular site for dog walkers, families and swimmers. It’s somewhere I go with my family and our dog.
“We need the Minister to provide a long term solution to the repeated pollution incidents that have occurred here to ensure the beach and water is safe for everyone to enjoy the beautiful resource on our doorstep.”
Assemblyman Stephen Dunne said the incident was of deep concern to the local community and noted the area had suffered from poor water quality for a number of years now.
“This is a cherished area for residents and visitors alike, and any threat to its environment and public safety must be treated with the utmost urgency,” he said.
“In the past year we have seen the benefits hosting international yachting tournaments can have on our local economy. Incidents such as this and continued poor water quality seriously jeopardise the likelihood of these competitions returning on a consistent basis,” added Mr Dunne.