this is actually a few days old but i have only just found out.

POLLUTION has wiped out almost 1,000 fish in a Cwmbran brook.
Hundreds of brown trout, perch, roach, eels and crayfish were wiped out as a
toxic substance ran into Dowlais Brook, which flows through Cwmbran from the
Afon Lwyd. Mal Salter, conservation officer for Cwmbran Angling Association,
said: "The scene was devastating. There were dead fish everywhere. "We were
planning to open the area as a nature reserve for local schoolchildren, but
that has been put on hold. "This is the third incident we have had on Llantarnam
Pond and Dowlais Brook in seven years and it is getting beyond a joke." He said
fishing had been stopped at the adjoining Top Pond, one of the three Llantarnam
ponds used by local anglers, and he hoped for rain to flush out what was left
of the pollutant. Gwent Wildlife Trust conservation officer Nicola Hawkswood
called for a full investigation, adding: "Dowlais Brook was highlighted to us
in the past as an important migration route for otters, as it is a link between
the Afon Lwyd and the Monmouth and Brecon canal. The fish won't be the only
ones affected and the impact on the stream won't be short term." Local anglers
only became aware of the problem at the weekend and called in the fire service,
who worked for two hours to circulate fresh water into the brook. Environment
Agency Wales officers then arrived and undertook a `fish kill assessment'. They
warned the public not to pick up any dead fish they may find around the stream.
Post mortems are being carried out on some of the dead fish, and water samples
have been taken for analysis. The polluting discharge has now stopped, but the
agency's investigations are continuing. It will review the information collected
to determine what further action should be taken, which could include legal
proceedings Indig Jones, of the Environment Agency, said: "The source of the
pollution has not yet been determined, but our investigations are continuing.
There will then be a report prepared in order to decide whether to take legal
action." POLLUTION prevention advice is available free from Environment Agency
Wales offices on 0845 9333 111, and there is an emergency hotline on 0800 80
70 60 for people to report pollution, illegal tipping of waste, poaching, fish
in distress or danger to the natural environment.
for more info see http://www.thisisgwent.co.uk

------------------
Website: http://catchpole.cjb.net

Email: