The Green Party has described the Environment Agency’s ability to improve the quality of water in Northern Ireland’s rivers as non existence following the second major fish kill in as many days.

Green Party Assembly Member Brian Wilson said: “The Environment Agency’s river protection record this summer has been abysmal.  There have been many major pollution incidents in our rivers this summer.  This Agency appears to be nothing more than a glorified cleaning agency.  It’s ability to detect threats in advance of a spill has to be questioned.”

In April the Sixmilewater River in Co. Antrim was contaminated and fish were killed, in July both the Blackwater and Ballymoney Burn in Co. Tyrone were pollution with trout and salmon lost.  In early August the Lower Colin River in West Belfast and the Crawfordsburn Stream near Bangor, were polluted.  Yesterday fish were killed at Moneypenny’s Lock in Portadown and today coarse fish and pike were killed in a suspected pollution incident at Shillington’s Bridge in Portadown.

Assembly Member Wilson said: “Northern Ireland needs an independent Environmental Protection Agency, delaying this very necessary body is resulting in rivers being destroyed, anglers losing fish and drinking water being put at risk. The Minister of the Environment’s refusal to take the state of our rivers seriously is going to result in serious fines from Europe and it will be paid out of tax payers money.”