Caerphilly river pollution incident kills 100 fish prompting investigation

  • Video credit: Natural Resources Wales


Approximately 100 fish have been killed by pollution in a river prompting a Natural Resources Wales (NRW) investigation.

The incident in the Nant yr Aber river in Caerphilly has had a significant impact on local stock with fish including trout, salmon, grayling and bullhead dying.

NRW officers attended the site shortly after receiving reports of discolouration affecting approximately one mile of the river on Tuesday (August 30).

Officers have since identified the source of the pollution and will now investigate the cause of the problem.

Water samples were taken and will be analysed to help decide the next course of action.

Kirsty Lewis, Senior Environment officer for Natural Resources Wales explained: “Protecting Wales’ rivers and the communities and wildlife that depend on them is an important part of the work that we do. As soon as we received reports of this incident, our officers were out on site to investigate.

“Unfortunately, we can confirm that approximately 100 fish have been killed in this pollution incident, which will have a significant impact on local fish stocks.

“We believe we have found the source and we’ll consider what action to take next, including any appropriate enforcement action to be taken against those responsible.

“We’re grateful to those who reported this incident to us. We would encourage anyone to report signs of pollution to us on 0300 065 3000, or via our website to ensure we can respond as swiftly as possible.”