Salmon population ‘wiped out’ in Scottish river after chemical spill

A pollution incident has killed a significant number of fish and other wildlife on a tributary of the River Spey in Scotland.

A chemical, thought to be caustic soda, is understood to have entered the water and ‘destroyed’ several species at the Knockando burn in recent days.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency says it is investigating a potential pollution incident on the burn.

Fly fishers say the salmon population at the burn has been wiped out and could take years to recover.

Duncan Ferguson, director of the Spey Fishery Board, said the pollution incident was one of the largest he had seen in 36 years of working on the river, with a two-kilometre stretch of the Knockando burn affected.

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He said: ‘It’s a tragic event.

It’s a really bad outcome, and it didn’t have to happen.’
He said the salmon population could face a five-year period of recovery, with a two-kilometre stretch of the burn “destroyed”.

The chemical is thought to be industrially linked, he said.

The pollution incident comes at the peak period for fly fishing on the Spey, and just 10 days after another pollution incident at a Spey tributary.

Earlier, a number of salmon died after white paint was spilt into the Burn of Carron.

A spokesman for Sepa said: ‘Sepa are investigating a potential pollution incident in a tributary of the River Spey and is working to identify the source and impacts.’
In March, the Environment Agency was investigating a pollution incident after orange discharge was found in a stream in Cornwall.

The water at Nansmellyn Marsh Nature Reserve and Bolingey Stream in Perranporth turned a bright orange colour.

Officers from the Environment Agency have been at the site investigating the source and impact of the contaminated water.

In a later update, the parish council said the Environment Agency confirmed the orange substance is iron ochre – one of the minerals that make up iron ore.

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