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Paint Spill Kills Salmon in Spey Tributary
17 Apr
Summary
- White paint pollution created a milky sheen and turpentine smell.
- Two fly-tipping incidents occurred within two hours at a lay-by.
- Last year's salmon stock died, but this year's survived upstream.
Wild salmon have been found dead along the banks of the Burn of Carron, a tributary of the River Spey, following a significant white paint spill. The incident, reported on Tuesday afternoon, caused the water to turn a milky white and emit a strong smell of turpentine.
Investigations by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) identified two fly-tipping incidents into the same drain at a lay-by on the A95, occurring within two hours of each other. Although the water has since cleared, the Spey Fishery Board confirmed that environmental damage has occurred.
While the current year's salmon population managed to escape the immediate impact by remaining upstream, a substantial number of last year's salmon stock did not survive. Officials are appealing to the public for any information regarding the pollution incident.
