Inland Fisheries Ireland has secured a conviction against a Kerryman for dredging salmon and trout spawning beds.
Michael O’Shea of Bunaderreen North, Mastergeehy, Killarney was found to have removed gravel and lowered the channel bed at Kealadwneen stream - a tributary of the River Inny.
The dredging occured at Bunaderreen and Kealafreaghane West, Mastergeehy, on dates between January 1st and 31st this year.
He was also found to have removed trees and vegetation along the stream bank, compounding the harm done to the sensitive habitat - at Bunaderreen and Kealafreaghane West, Mastergeehy.
At Cahersiveen District Court recently Mr O’Shea was fined €750 and ordered to pay costs of €1,260 to Inland Fisheries Ireland.
IFI welcomed the ruling describing the act as ecological destruction, adding no works should take pace in a river without IFI guidance or during the closed season (from October to June).
Separately, Inland Fisheries Ireland is welcoming the successful conviction of Uisce Éireann after a harmful discharge which left 5000 fish dead in North Cork.
A fine of €3,500 was imposed on the water company after discharge from the Freemount Treatment plant flowed into the River Allow near Kanturk on the 9th of June.
It led to a number of species of fish being discovered dead including juvenile Atlantic salmon and brown trout.
