Fish heads dumped in Silvermines
Tipperary Co Council is investigating the dumping of around 80 fish heads on the popular nature trail in Silvermines.
Described by local councillor Pamela Quirke O'Meara as a “disturbing” discovery, the fish heads were found near the back entrance to the trail on May 24.
They were cleaned up by a young couple from the village, who at first thought there were only a few heads but further inspection revealed as many as 80. The nature trail was targeted again less than a week later when a bag of rubbish was found discarded at the same spot on May 30. Tipperary Co Council was contacted and a litter warden came to remove the bag.
Mary Moroney of Silvermines Enhancement Group and Silvermines Tidy Towns said the fish heads could be smelled from several metres away. They appeared to belong to sea fish.
Ms Moroney said there has been an ongoing problem with dumping in the area, especially in the forestry around the village, but this was the first time the nature trail has been used as a dumping ground. She said this was upsetting to see given how popular the trail is, with people of all ages coming to walk the amenity.
The two dumping incidents were all the more concerning in that this is Tidy Towns judging season. Ms Moroney said she is now visiting the nature trail every day to see if anything else has been dumped.
Cllr Quirke O'Meara raised the matter at this week's meeting of Tipperary Co Council. "This was a disturbing find for the local community," she said. She thanked the litter warden for going to Silvermines to investigate but said it did not appear that any usable evidence was found.
Cllr Quirke O'Meara asked the council to take action on illegal dumping in Silvermines and villages in general, many of which she regretted are experiencing a greater level of dumping than before, and adding that these incidents are "getting more sinister now".
'YOU'RE GOING TO BE CAUGHT'
The meeting was informed of legal proceedings taken by the council over the dumping of rubbish. Three successful convictions have been achieved this year, one under the Waste Management Act and two under the Litter Pollution Act.
Cllr Seán Ryan urged the council to do more to catch and prosecute offenders where dumping is concerned. "The message needs to go out," he said. "If you dump, you're going to be caught. You're not going to get away with it."
Eamon Lonergan, Director of Services for Environment and Climate Action, said the council would focus attention on Silvermines following the fish head discovery. He said it was "not an easy task" for the litter warden to investigate the incident.
Mr Lonergan said a new code of practice has come in for using CCTV cameras at locations where illegal dumping is a problem. A number of pilot projects are in train to that end.