‘Significant’ Fish Kill in Co Louth Being Investigated

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating a "locally significant" fish kill in the River Glyde, County Louth, where numerous endangered adult and juvenile Atlantic salmon, along with brown trout, eel, pike, and other freshwater species, have died. The exact number of affected fish is still being assessed.

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A definite line of inquiry is being pursued and relevant local authorities have been notified.

Environmental officers from IFI were dispatched to the site near Tallanstown after local residents reported spotting the dead fish. Samples have been collected from the river for laboratory analysis. "A considerable stretch of the river is affected, and the estimated number of fish mortalities is currently being assessed," an IFI spokesperson stated.

This incident is the second serious fish kill reported in 2026. In April, approximately 200 brown trout perished in the River Skane in County Meath. The River Glyde has a history of fish kills, with IFI recording 10 incidents since 1971, including a severe event in 1995 that killed around 1,000 salmon and trout.

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A considerable stretch of the river is affected, and the estimated number of fish mortalities is currently being assessed.

The investigation comes after new protocols requiring enhanced inter-agency cooperation were introduced following Ireland's largest fish kill last August. That incident, which saw at least 42,000 fish die in the River Blackwater, Co Cork, exposed critical delays and gaps in the response efforts involving multiple public bodies and state agencies.

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Monitoring and assessment of the impact will continue to be undertaken by IFI staff.