Dumped animal carcasses in rivers 'shameful' say litter pickers

Dumped animal carcasses in rivers 'shameful' say litter pickersJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNiall McCrackenMid Ulster reporter, BBC News NIBBCPaddy Little says he has lost count of the amount of animal carcasses he has spotted in the Blackwater RiverWarning: this article contains distressing imagesDumped dead animals are a "shameful, regular sight" in rural rivers and watercourses in parts of Northern Ireland.Paddy Little, a litter picking officer for a waters sports club, said he had lost count of the number of carcasses he has seen in the Blackwater River that flows between counties Tyrone and Armagh.He said members had pulled a bag from the water, only to find it stuffed with a sheep carcass. The agriculture minister has called for an end to the "veil of secrecy" surrounding animal dumping incidents.Figures show there were almost 150 animal dumping incidents since 2020, but only 15 people have been convicted of wrongful disposal of animals offences in the last five years.Lisa HoustonIn April about a dozen lamb carcasses were dumped at the side of a road in a rural Claudy"A lot of the times we're out litter picking we would see some sort of dead animal in the water," Little from Blackwater Paddle Sports added."It's a biohazard and it's hugely unpleasant for the community that uses this river."The tags which identify farm animals' owners are often removed when a carcass has been illegally dumped.Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has called for anybody with information on the illegal dumping of farm animals to contact authorities immediately."I'm aware the vast majority of farmers dispose of fallen livestock responsibly and many share my disgust, but this is wrong and we need to see people apprehended for it", he said.Andrew Muir said he was appalled by the animal dumping incidentsMeanwhile the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) called on anyone illegally dumping farm ani...