A 28-year-old farmer from Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland has been fined £1,000 for water pollution offences.
Jordan Yorke, from Inishrush, was convicted at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court last week.
The court heard that in August 2019 water quality inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) carried out an inspection at the Tyanee Burn, upstream of its confluence with the Clady River.
The inspectors observed extensive grey fungus on the bed of the Tyanee Burn and on vegetation along the waterway and its tributaries for approximately 1.7km.
They entered the farm on the Inishrush Road and discovered a silage clamp with effluent discharging from the rear of the clamp.
This silage effluent was ponding next to and entering the storm drains of an adjacent shed as well as ponding in a nearby field.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture (DAERA) said: "In accordance with procedures, a sample of the active discharge was collected and analysed and found to contain poisonous, noxious, or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish in the receiving waterway.
"Effluents of this nature enrich fungus coverage on the bed of the watercourse which may lead to the destruction of fish spawning sites, as well as starving river invertebrates, on which fish feed, of oxygen."
Mr Yorke pleaded guilty and received a fine of £1,000 plus £15 offenders levy.
