A pollution incident in Moray has killed a significant number of fish and other wildlife including eels and birds.
A chemical, thought to be caustic soda, is understood to have entered the water at the Knockando burn, which flows into the River Spey, in the last few days.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said it was investigating the incident, which has affected a more than mile-long (2km) stretch of the burn.
Fly fishers say the salmon population at the burn has been wiped out and could take years to recover.
Duncan Ferguson, director of the Spey Fishery Board, said it was one of the largest pollution incidents he had seen in 36 years of working on the river.
“It’s a tragic event,” he said. “It’s a really bad outcome and it didn’t have to happen.”
Ferguson said the salmon population could face a five-year period of recovery.
He added: “There are no invertebrates left, thousands of fish have died. This part of the river is now basically inert. It’s a tragedy and it can’t be repeated.”
The chemical is thought to be industrially linked, he said.
The spill comes during the peak period for fly fishing on the Spey.
A Sepa spokesman said: “We are investigating a potential pollution incident in a tributary of the River Spey and are working to identify the source and impacts.”
READ MORE: BBC
“It’s a tragic event,” he said. “It’s a really bad outcome and it didn’t have to happen.”
Duncan Ferguson, Spey District Salmon Fishery Board
