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National Protocol for Coordinating the Response to Significant Mortality Events in Freshwater

A new State interagency plan to urgently respond to significant fish kills has been published by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

A new national protocol aimed at strengthening Ireland’s response to significant fish mortality events in freshwater has been published by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). Developed by an Inter-Agency Protocol Group, and led by Inland Fisheries Ireland, this protocol establishes – for the first time – a nationally agreed operational framework for coordinating and communicating the State’s emergency response to significant fish kill events.

The protocol was developed following recommendations arising from the investigation into the significant fish kill event that occurred in the River Blackwater catchment in August 2025. It is intended to improve coordination, information sharing and communication between agencies involved in responding to future incidents.

The protocol document and supporting information are available from Inland Fisheries Ireland.

View National Protocol for Coordinating the Response to Significant Mortality Events in Freshwater

Learn more

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Minister Dooley welcomes publication of new inter-agency protocol for responding to major fish-kill incidents

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.