A significant pollution incident has occurred in the Knockando burn, a tributary of the River Spey in Moray, resulting in the deaths of numerous fish, eels, and birds. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is investigating the suspected release of caustic soda into the water.
Duncan Ferguson, director of the Spey Fishery Board, described the incident as one of the largest he has witnessed in 36 years. A two-kilometre stretch of the burn has been severely affected, with the salmon population effectively wiped out. Recovery is expected to take up to five years.
The spill comes at the peak of the fly-fishing season and follows a similar incident just 10 days earlier, when white paint entered the Burn of Carron, killing several salmon. Sepa is working to identify the source and assess the full impact of the pollution.
