Pollution incident kills fish and wildlife in Moray tributary
A pollution incident in Moray has killed fish and other wildlife in a tributary of the River Spey, with investigators working to identify the source of the spill.
A chemical, thought to be caustic soda, is understood to have entered the Knockando burn in the last few days.
The burn flows into the River Spey and the affected stretch is more than a mile long, or about 2km.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said it was investigating the incident and trying to establish both the source and the impact.
Local fishery officials said salmon in the burn had been wiped out, while eels and birds were also among the wildlife reported dead.
The spill matters because the River Spey is a major fishing river and the incident has come during the peak period for fly fishing on the Spey.
Duncan Ferguson, director of the Spey Fishery Board, said it was one of the largest pollution incidents he had seen in 36 years working on the river.
He said the salmon population could take around five years to recover.
He also said the chemical was thought to be industrially linked.
