A Co Antrim farmer has been ordered to pay out nearly £3,000 after causing water pollution which killed over 1,400 fish.
Mark Patterson, 50, from Crumlin was convicted this week at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court for a water pollution offence.
The court was told that in May 2021, a water quality inspector (WQI) acting on behalf of Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) responded to a report of pollution affecting the Dunore River.
The officer discovered the Dunore River was brown in colour and foam was observed on the surface of the waterway.
It was found that agricultural effluent was flowing into the river from the direction of the farm, located on Carmavy Road.
The source of the pollution was an outlet hatch from a slurry tank which had not been closed properly the previous evening.
A total of 1,448 dead fish were counted.
Mr Patterson pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000 plus £15 offenders levy and ordered to pay £1,734 as compensation as a result of a fish kill.
