Mid Ulster councillors raise concern of 'ongoing issue' as more dead sheep are dumped
A Mid Ulster councillor has called for an urgent clean-up of watercourses where dead sheep are being dumped on a regular basis.
Councillor Kevin McElvogue said the issue was posing a major environmental risk.
Speaking at the July 8 Environment committee meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, the Independent councillor commented: “I just want to raise the dumping of dead animals in the Clogher Valley which is an ongoing issue - especially this year.
“I have to say the council removed the ones in Clogher, but there’s the ones in the river at Ballygawley. Now, this is the fourth week on Friday and they’re still lying there, decaying.
“These weren’t lambs, they were fully grown sheep. What did they die of? Nobody seems to know what they died of. Nobody seems to have any problem with them lying there. The agency is just passing the buck from one to the other.
“If it was dumped in my field, and somebody reported them, I think you would be made to move them, which doesn’t seem to be happening there.
“They’re lying in the river - they’re rotting into Lough Neagh and it’s coming back out as drinking water, which I think is totally ridiculous.
“There’s been 10 or 15 in there, and a couple of them washed away. There was one down the river about six weeks ago. I was told just yesterday there was a blockage, and there was at least another 10 sheep stuck in that blockage - dead sheep as well."
Clllr McElvogue said he was talking to Mid Ulster District Council’s chief executive regarding arranging a meeting with the Rivers Agency.
Assistant Director of Environmental Services, Mark McAdoo told Cllr McElvogue: “In relation to the dumping of animal carcasses, there is correspondence back from the DAERA Minister which sets out the responsibilities of each body in relation to that, and I believe that correspondence - if it hasn’t already - is going to be circulated to all members, but that can certainly be discussed further at the meeting you’ve referred to.”
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Councillor Mark Robinson (DUP) echoed Cllr McElvogue’s comments: “I would have similar concerns. I think it’s a disgrace that these carcasses can be left lying in the river - this is the same river that flows into the Blackwater and into Lough Neagh and is then used as drinking water.
“And I think it’s disgraceful that the department isn’t trying to recover these carcasses rather than letting them rot in the river. It’s just a disgrace.
“If it was a farmer’s land, he would be made to remove them. These departments - whether it’s DAERA or whether it’s the Rivers Agency - somebody should be responsible for them.
“I know they didn’t put them there, but if there was a flood in the morning and it flowed out onto the farmer’s land, the farmer’s responsible for them. So why aren’t some of these agencies responsible?”
Councillor James Burton (DUP) remarked that the dumping of carcasses was also occurring in his own area.
He said: “On the back of what Cllr McElvogue had to say about the meeting with the DAERA - could that be opened out to other members, maybe just outside the Clogher Valley area?
“Because I’ve had the same issue in the Dungannon area, and it could be useful just for all members to maybe express their concerns in relation to this issue.”